St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital - Three Ways to Get Involved

Drawing on a decade of leadership experience, financial advisor Michael Arteca founded the boutique insurance and asset management firm Empire Financial Partners of New York. There, he focuses on offering annuities, insurance, and other financial products. Very engaged in giving back to the community, Michael Arteca is a supporter of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

St. Jude is a leading research hospital focused on preventing and advancing cures for catastrophic pediatric diseases such as cancer. The hospital’s care is provided entirely free for families and children, which is made possible by philanthropic efforts. There are several ways people can get involved and support the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital mission.

1. Fundraising: A common way to help the institution, community members can create a fundraising page through St. Jude’s website and inspire acts of kindness from other people. A $1,500 fundraiser, for example, could help a child with three hours of physical therapy.

2. Volunteering: St. Jude hosts numerous charity events to raise funds for treatment and research, and community members can volunteer in their area. Another possible way to help is by volunteering at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

3. Making monthly donations: Anyone can become part of the community of monthly donors. Each monthly gift of a Partner in Hope helps cover a type of cost - for example, those who donate $19 each month help provide thermometers and other equipment, while $25 donations offer a day’s worth of meals for one St. Jude family. 

Is a Travel League Right for You?

As the president and owner of Empire Financial Partners in Westbury, New York, Michael Arteca assists clients in achieving their goals through various financial and insurance vehicles. Outside of work, Michael Arteca enjoys working out, playing sports, and coaching his son's traveling baseball team.

Unlike the less-competitive recreational teams in youth sports leagues, travel teams typically play at an elite level and place more emphasis on competition. Joining a travel team often requires that players pass a tryout. Once on the team, there is no guarantee of equal playing time among those on the roster.

Of course, another major difference between travel teams and your standard recreational club is obvious from the name. In many cases, these teams will travel long distances, even out of state, to participate in games and tournaments with other elite teams. The focus on travel exposes young players to better competition and gives them the chance to develop their skills against the best-of-the-best.

While travel teams are great for many well-developed players, they are not the right choice for everyone. Young athletes who have become bored with rec league play can thrive in a travel environment, but other players may find the more competitive leagues overly stressful. Playing on a travel team can also be expensive, making it difficult for some families to participate.

Ultimately, a family's decision to join a traveling ball club should only come after careful consideration. For many, the benefits that come with healthy challenges, improved competition, and the chance to hone one's athletic abilities are more than enough to justify the leap into a travel league.