Now, Missouri's two Major League Baseball teams are doing their part to help out as well.
The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals dedicated this weekend's interleague series to raising money and awareness for the people of Joplin as part of their "Teams Unite for Joplin" initiative.
During the three-game series played at St. Louis' Busch Stadium from Friday to Sunday, the teams auctioned off autographed jerseys, baseballs and other memorabilia in addition to "Once-In-A-Lifetime" experiences such as dinner with Cardinals legend Lou Brock.
Both teams also wore commemorative "Teams Unite for Joplin" patches throughout the series, which fans could purchase for $10, with all of the proceeds going toward the tornado relief effort.
"It's big for the state of Missouri," Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer told the Joplin Globe on Saturday. "It's going to be fun for everyone to come out here. Hopefully we can raise a lot of money and help the city get back to where it was."
The support provided went beyond just fundraising, however, as the teams invited members of the Joplin community to be a part of the series. Two Joplin High School softball players threw out the first pitches before Friday's game — and later spent an inning in the Cardinals broadcast booth — and nine members of the Joplin baseball team took the field with the Cardinals before the first inning on Saturday, with nine more lining up with the Royals in the middle of the first.
Both the Cardinals and Royals also wore Joplin High School baseball caps during warmups prior to Saturday's game.
"I think it's such a good thing what we're doing here this weekend because all the [national] TV cameras are gone now and it's like people forget," Royals outfielder Jeff Francoer said. "But for a town like Joplin, you don't forget. It's such a devastating thing and a thing that you can't believe your eyes when you see it."
