Texas Ranger Cole Hamels, Wife, Donate Mansion to Christian Charity for Special Needs Kids

By Nancy Flory Published on December 21, 2017

Texas Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels and his wife, Heidi, gave away their 32,000 square foot mansion and 100 acres of land in southwest Missouri to a Christian children’s camp for special needs kids.

The Table Rock Lake home was worth over $9 million according to ESPN.

The Hamels donated the mansion to Camp Barnabas, a charitable organization that is dedicated “to provide life-changing experiences to individuals with special needs and chronic illnesses as well as their siblings,” a statement on the camp’s website said.

Camp Barnabas’ values are distinctively Christian. The camp states in its values that “Christ comes first, always,” and “We point people to Christ in everything we do.”

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Cole Hamels said in a statement that Camp 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,” he said. “Barnabas makes dreams come true, and we felt called to help them in a big way.”

The Hamels began building the house in 2012, but they moved to Texas when Cole was traded to the Rangers. They never lived in the mansion.

The donation was the largest in the history of the camp.