Good Tidings Foundation, founded in 1995, is a 501-(c)-3 children’s charity that looks to equally support ARTS, EDUCATION, ATHLETICS and DREAMS for youth from communities of need in Northern California. Good Tidings creates original projects and works in partnership with professional sports franchises and professional athletes, businesses, and agencies throughout the region, leveraging resources in order to increase access to enriching opportunities by deserving youth.
GOOD TIDINGS IS BORN FROM AN IDEA BY LARRY HARPER, A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SCOUT.
In 1994, MLB cancelled the World Series. Harper was disturbed on how this could happen over money and the impression that would be left on youth. So he set out to do something positive for children, so that the younger generation would love the game for what it is not for the money it could give you. A children’s book was the idea and he contacted an LA based artist name Brent Benger. Benger had just finished a series of ‘Rockwellesque’ images of children playing catch with their Dad, listening to a game on the radio, etc.. This would provide the perfect genre and Harper would write the poetry. The book begins with “We don’t claim this to be a book about the way life is, just the way we wish it to be…”. But the book needed some star quality to be successful. So Larry wrote a note to his childhood idol, Vin Scully, gave it to a Dodgers Coach he knew, and asked Vin if he would write the foreward. The next day there was a message on Harper’s home phone…”Hello Larry, this is Vin Scully”. At first thought, Larry thought this was someone doing their best Vin Scully impression, but it was not, it was the greatest sports announcer of all-time saying yes! Scully was on board, the book was self published so all money could be directly given to such charities as Make-A-Wish and the Jackie Robinson Foundation. At the book signing at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, the line was two blocks long to see Scully and the first edition was sold out.