In 2003, at the age of 17, Taylor Hooton took his own life as a result of steroid use.  In the wake of this tragedy, his father Don Hooton was determined to turn this enormous loss into a positive force for America’s young people. 

He launched the Taylor Hooton Foundation with the single purpose of educating young people and their adult influencers about these drugs.  However, the Foundation needed exposure, funding, partners, programs and most of all the ability to reach kids—it needed to make an impact.

From 2004 to 2011, we helped build the Foundation from the ground up.  We helped the Foundation to build a partnership with Major League Baseball.  With Baseball’s support, we provide educational programs—with pro trainers and players—in all 30 major league parks each season. 

We also developed and managed the Foundation’s partnership with New York Yankees’ All Star, Alex Rodriguez.  This program is Alex’s flagship educational effort.  This relationship has helped us reach thousands of young people and helped this player carry his strong message to kids.

Building on these efforts, we also played a lead role in helping the Foundation to develop and implement a partnership with the New York Yankees.  Working with the Yankees we provide educational programs for schools and youth organizations across the New York Metropolitan area. 

In 2010 and 2011, with the very generous support of the Yankees and the help of a few special friends, we ran the Foundation’s major fundraising events at Yankee Stadium. The funds we raised enabled the Foundation to reach out to tens of thousands more kids across the nation.

Additionally, we created the Foundation’s new annual Taylor’s Award to honor the outstanding support of the Foundation by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.  This first award is now prominently displayed in the Commissioner’s office.  In coming years this award will be presented to an individual or organization that has provided critical support to the Foundation and its goal of safeguarding our nation’s children.

In 2011 we will help the Foundation roll out an online educational program aimed at coaches and trainers.  Our goal is train everyone from the local youth soccer coach to pediatricians to the trainers at collegiate sports powerhouses.  We are now developing corporate partnerships to help youth league coaches get this training for free.