Pictured: Ryan Zimmerman and his mother Cheryl / Chris Kennedy Images

Cheryl and Keith Zimmerman pride themselves on being family grounded people. Their biggest goal with their two sons, Ryan and Shawn, was to pass the value of family on to them. Monday night at Nationals Park, they watched with a glimmer in their eye as their oldest son Ryan of the Washington Nationals did his parents proud by sharing the value of family with over 700 people including his teammates, fans, and fellow District residents.

Ryan Zimmerman’s “A Night at the Park” was the first event held by his family’s ziMS Foundation in Washington, D.C. The foundation raises money to benefit multiple sclerosis research in honor of Ryan’s mother Cheryl who was diagnosed with the disease in 1995. As Ryan got a little bit older, he realized that if he ever had a chance to do something to give back, not just to his family but for everyone else who goes through daily life with MS in their own family whether it’s a parent, brother, or sister, he would do it.

“Obviously when I got to play baseball at this level I had the platform to kind of run with it and do something with it and I’ve had a lot of help along the way,” Ryan said. “It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to give back to people who have helped me get where I’m at now and this was the perfect reason to do it.” Continue reading →