SPHL Mississippi RiverKings

Local Surgeon Has Special Place In His Heart for Children's Charities

March 21, 2003 - SPHL (SPHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN, Miss.—Dr. Mike Foster of Hernando shelled out $4,200 this week for Don Parsons' special edition Harley Davidson/RiverKings game-worn jersey during an auction benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi. What would prompt someone to spend that kind of money? Fanatic idolatry? Extravagance? Nope. Try the better good of thousands of children, and the memory of one in particular.

While Foster is a general surgeon at Baptist Hospital—DeSoto in Southaven, he and his wife own Cedar Hill Farms, 120 acres of pasture and woodland in Hernando. Most of the farm's "entertainment and educational farming" activities revolve around children.

On average, about 10,000 children from kindergarten to third grade visit the farm every year. Some of the events include a petting zoo and pony rides, a pumpkin patch and hay rides in the fall, and paintball for older children on the weekends.

"I got to know Don watching the games and working out with him at the DeSoto Athletic Club," Foster said. "My wife and family got to know his wife and kids, and we found out that one of his children had medical difficulties."

"I kind of relate to Donny, because our son Stephen had medical difficulties, too," Foster said. "He died when he was 10 of metabolic acidosis, in which the blood stays chronically too acidic and the kidneys malfunction. There's no cure for it, and the patients don't generally live to be adults. So we can identify with these parents of children with cystic fibrosis."

Foster, his wife Martha and their three sons Robert, now a sophomore at The University of Mississippi, David and Paul started attending RiverKings games about three years ago.

Foster owns four RiverKings jerseys. At the RiverKings' New Year's Eve jersey auction benefiting JR. StreetKings youth roller hockey, he bought Parsons' jersey for $1,800. At the most recent auction, he was willing to pay more.

"Since it was for charity, I got into the spirit of the moment, and just didn't want to stop once I started," Foster said. "I knew it was going for a good cause."

Not that the man wearing the jersey didn't make a difference.

"I just think Donny's a really stand-up guy, in addition to being the best player in the league," Foster said. "It seems like he puts his family first. He's just a good guy trying to do the right thing. That's what I respect about him the most."

The RiverKings next play the Oklahoma City Blazers this Saturday night in Game One of the first round of the playoffs at the DeSoto Civic Center, located just 15 minutes south of downtown Memphis. Face-off is set for 7:05 p.m. For tickets call (662)-342-1755 or go online to www.RiverKings.com and use the Ticketmaster link.



SPHL Stories from March 21, 2003


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