Whether you have met him or not, if you’ve been to an Oriole game, you know Romeo Santos; his signature orange construction hat, mohawk-ed with black and orange feathers that he wears to every event that has even the slightest scent of Camden Yards or the baseball team he adores, sets him out in any crowd. Most often, he is leading those crowds in starting the wave, or the spelling of “Orioles,” or a section-wide exclamation of “charge!”
Outside of Camden Yards, Santos has led even greater charges. Selling tickets to Orioles games through his late wife’s fundraising group, Santos has raised more than $70,000 for local charities.
Even while Camden Yards sits uninhabited for the the winter months, Santos is still running his charitable efforts.
And “running” is used quite literally.
Meet Princess Aubrey, this beautiful five year old with severe hearing loss.
First, meet Aubrey: a beautiful five-year-old girl, the fourth born in a family consisting of three boys, and the first girl born among the extended family in quiet some years. Dealing with all the boys, she has earned the affectionate title of Princess Aubrey. “She is just the sweetest little girl, but takes no crap from anyone!” said Megan Callendar, cousin to the Princess.
Since she was two, her family had believed that Princess Aubrey had difficulties hearing.
“We would see that she would try her best to understand,” wrote Aubrey’s mother Kristina on the family’s GoFundMe page, “and sometimes she just start feeling fed up.”
After three years of meeting with numerous doctors, all of whom deterred the family from hearing tests for Aubrey (leading the family to believe she had a comprehensive disorder, and not hearing difficulties) the family finally was able to get Aubrey the proper hearing tests through her school system.
Doctors diagnosed Princess Aubrey with severe hearing loss that would require her to wear hearing aids in both ears. The cost of the two hearing aids totals $4,000, a tall task for a four-child family on a limited income with Christmas upcoming.
Once Santos heard of the struggles of the family that supports his charities throughout the baseball season, he decided to pitch in his own efforts.
Santos says he plans to run a lap around Camden Yards on Thanksgiving Day for every $100 donated to the family through the GoFundMe page, announcing his plan through the Facebook event page “Run Romeo Run for Princess Aubrey and her ears!”
“They are some awesome people and I just wanted to pay it forward,” said Santos.
Santos is as avid a runner as he is an Orioles fan. In fact, he has completed three full marathons while carrying an Orioles flag.
“I love to run and am going through some Orioles withdrawal right now,” said Santos. “I could use some time around the ballpark.”
Romeo Santos has completed numerous marathons, including three while wearing his signature helmet and carrying an Orioles flag.
Just how much “time around the ballpark” Romeo will spend on Thanksgiving day is yet to be determined. Right now, only a day after the GoFundMe page was created, the family has already received $2,200 in donations, more than half-way to the goal, meaning 22 laps for Santos.
“I honestly didn’t believe much would come of it and thought it wouldn’t hurt to try,” said Kristina about making the GoFundMe page. “Now I see that in just a few short hours that people really do care!”
Once the goal of $4,000 is reached, the rest of the donations will go to charities helping other children struggling with hearing disorders. Each lap around Camden Yards is roughly a half mile, making $5,200 the magic number to make Santos’ run a full marathon, a desired secondary goal, but certainly not a maximum number; Santos plans to run further than the 26.2 miles if the donations call for it, the orange helmet atop his head.
“The best part is my baby girl will get her hearing aids and potentially another child will have help with theirs!” said Kristina.
Those making donations have the possibility of winning prizes: a donation of $500 earns an Adam Jones autographed bat. And, despite his allegiance to both the black and orange as well as the purple and black, Santos says that if someone donates $200, he would run a lap carrying a team flag of their choice, which includes the Yankees and Steelers.
“I would suck up my hatred for them to do some good,” said Santos.
Aubrey’s mother is overwhelmed by the support of everyone who has donated, and especially the efforts of Santos.
“I feel so blessed to have someone like Romeo Santos in my corner and my life,” said Kristina, “Romeo Santos is a wonderful motivator and has a tremendous will to help others and I could not feel more thankful to know him as a person!”
Aubrey’s family is optimistic that with the help of Santos, they will be able to reach their goal and beyond, granting the Princess the gift of complete hearing.
“I would love after she receives her hearing aids for all of us to be able to teach her and help her learn what she was never able to fully express,” said Callendar.
To donate, visit the GoFundMe page located HERE.
To read more about Santos, visit his application for entrance into ESPN’s Fan Hall of Fame HERE.
One Response
My little brother is pretty o’some! Love ya!