Nonprofit Disappointed By A-Rod Suspension
MCKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) - The suspension of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez came as a "disappointment" to a North Texas-based nonprofit aimed at keeping kids away from steroids.
According to the Taylor Hooton Foundation, Rodriguez took part in nearly 30 public speaking engagements organized by the foundation.
Most of the engagements involved the baseball player talking to kids about the dangers of using steroids.
"He was very good at it," said the nonprofit's director, Don Hooton.
The organization cut ties with the superstar earlier this summer.
"The message that the kids get are the best guys in the sport continue to use performance enhancing drugs and that's the way they made it to the top," said Hooton.
In 2009, just a couple days before Rodriguez publicly admitted to using a substance banded by Major League Baseball, Hooton said Rodriguez's camp reached out to see if he could be a part of the Taylor Hooton Foundation.
Hooton said Rodriguez helped with several fundraisers along with participating in dozens of educational events.
Hooton, who lives in McKinney, said he's not mad at Rodriguez rather "just sad and disappointed."
The Taylor Hooton Foundation is named after Hooton's son who killed himself ten years ago at the age of 17 after fighting depression when he stopped using steroids. Hooton was a star baseball player for Plano West High School.
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