Baseball prospect Ollio giving back
Giving back means plenty to Connor Ollio — because he can barely fathom what he's already received.
Ollio will be a junior at Butler High School in the fall. He won a national baseball championship at Cooperstown Dreams Park at age 12. He plays for a Central Florida Gators 16U team that is ranked fourth in the country by Perfect Game USA.
He represented the United States in the CoPabe World Championship in Mexico last year and helped Team USA win the gold medal.
“To be as fortunate as I am to play baseball at the highest level means a lot to me,” Ollio said. “But I know there are kids out there who are unable to follow their dreams.
“I've always wanted to give back.”
Now he is doing so, through the Central Florida Gators' participation in the 2016 WWBA U16 National Championship taking place July 8-15 in Atlanta.
Each of the 300 teams playing in this tournament is fund-raising for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which is fighting to cure childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases affecting our youth.
“Our team goal is to raise $5,000 by July 1,” Ollio said. “The team that raises the most money gets to play all of its tournament games at LakePoint Sports, probably the most plush youth baseball field in the country.
“I don't know if we'll be that team, but this cause is definitely close to my heart. Helping kids less fortunate than myself ... I consider this an opportunity.”
And it's one he's taken advantage of. Ollio has a personal website — each player on his team does — on which anybody can donate to St. Jude. Ollio has raised $865 to date, more than any player on his team.
His website is http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?fr_id=59281&px=4035307&pg=personal.
Fundraising will continue throughout the season, though funds raised by July 1 will count toward the championship tournament next month.
“Some kids have gone around asking people for donations,” Ollio said. “I've texted a few people, sent out emails. The response has been good.”
Ollio is pitching and playing multiple infield positions for the Gators, who return the bulk of last year's team.
“We want to repeat what we did last year. maybe even finish higher than fourth,” he said. “We're just getting into the tournament travel now.
“I love being able to play baseball down here during the summer. Now that we're helping less fortunate kids while we're doing it makes it even better.”
