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MLB pitcher donates mansion to children with special needs

The charity said this is the largest donation in its history.
Camp Barnabas says Cole and Heidi Hamels have donated their mansion in southwest Missouri to the charity.

Camp Barnabas announced Friday that Major League Baseball pitcher Cole Hamels and his wife, Heidi, are donating their 32,000-square-foot home and more than 100 acres of land to the camp for children with special needs and chronic illnesses.

A news release says the donation from the Hamels family is the largest in the history of Camp Barnabas, which is based in southwest Missouri.

“There are tons of amazing charities in southwest Missouri," Cole Hamels said in a news release. "Out of all of these, Barnabas really pulled on our heartstrings. Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve; there is truly nothing like it. Barnabas makes dreams come true, and we felt called to help them in a big way.”

The land is off of Table Rock Lake near Reeds Spring. It was the subject of a zoning debate earlier this year.

An attorney for the couple told the News-Leader they initially thought the mansion would be their dream home, but they instead decided to live in Texas.

It was once thought that the mansion might be converted into a clubhouse for condo owners.

A press conference about the donation has been scheduled for Tuesday in Branson.

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