“I have so much admiration for Gillette kids and the amazing doctors, nurses, and therapists that coach them on to victory. They’re a winning team that I’m proud to be a part of.”

-Joe Mauer

Twenty-five Gillette patients and their families, a dozen professional athletes and many corporate sponsors took to Target Field on June 14th for the 4th Annual Mauer and Friends Kids Classic.  

The event is hosted by former Twins catcher and first baseman, Joe Mauer and his wife Maddie with the aim of supporting the mission of Gillette and giving kids the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interact with some of the biggest names in baseball, hockey, football, and soccer.

The amazing roster of athletes included Twins greats; Justin Morneau, Jim Thome, Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, Joe Nathan, Corey Koskie, and Viking’s receiver Adam Thielen, the Minnesota Wilds’, Zach Parise and Minnesota United’s, Brent Kallman all played on the field with Gillette kids and offered words of encouragement.

Joe and Maddie Mauer are two of the strongest supporters of Gillette and its mission to help children facing complex medical conditions. Part of the couple's passion for helping kids stems from the fact that Maddie is a former nurse at Gillette. 

The Mauer’s first organized a gathering of Gillette families 16 years ago and held the event at Davanni’s Pizza on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue.  

This year’s event received even more media attention because Minnesota Governor Tim Walz proclaimed Saturday, June 15, to be “Joe Mauer Day” in the state to honor his contributions on and off the field. The Twins retired Joe Mauer’s number 7 during a ceremony before Saturday’s game.

A special thank you to the Hall of Fame sponsors of this year's event, Delta Airlines and Thomas Drees at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.