Albert Pujols: The charity continues, no matter the location

Albert Pujols walks the walk with his charity work.

As a St. Louis Cardinals fan, I was disappointed to see slugger Albert Pujols leave via free agency for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

But, the Pujols Family Foundation is always on deck, no matter what city Albert is in and no matter where in the batting order he is slotted.

And that's not just a baseball analogy:

The Pujols Family Foundation (PFF) is pleased to announce its launch as a National organization. The PFF is expanding its mission to include St. Louis, Southern California, Kansas City, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee by the end of 2012. The national effort is an extraordinary opportunity to positively impact the lives of thousands of children and adults living with Down syndrome.  

Southern California is an obvious expansion area. I'm not sure about Nashville, but maybe someone has information?

But, even though Albert is not a Cardinal, the foundation's headquarters is staying put:

The Foundation headquarters will remain in St. Louis so program development and community service will continue to thrive. The goal is to raise awareness, provide hope, as well as create supportive, memorable experiences for individuals and families living with Down syndrome. The PFF looks forward to partnering with other Down syndrome organizations that provide comprehensive resources.

“The Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis looks forward to continued collaborations in providing services and ensuring that the individuals that mean so much to both of our organizations will know we work together to make a difference in the quality of their lives,” expressed Dianne Schuch, Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis.

Over the years, many sports and entertainment greats have attended PFF events in support of the foundation to further the success of its vision by contributing their time and resources. Celebrities who have attended past events in support of the PFF include legends such as Stan Musial, Chuck Berry, Bo Jackson, Lou Brock, Shaquille O’Neal, Daryl Strawberry, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Meadowlark Lemon, Tony LaRussa, Don Mattingly and many more.

Anyway, at least in the off-season, I hope he comes back to St. Louis and stays involved. Helping the mentally challenged is itself a challenge. He's not a fake at this, as 60 Minutes documented. In fact, he's rated as one of the five most charitable baseball players, along with the likes of Derek Jeter.

After leaving St. Louis, some fans thought his religious belief was fake, or that he ultimately worshiped greed. Well, let's just let stuff play out off the baseball field separately.