ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Candis Keel and her kids walked into a suite at Tropicana Field and immediately felt special.

“I automatically knew I was going to watch a great game today,” Keel said.

And thanks to Denard Span, she was going to feel appreciated.

“It means everything,” Span said. “Because when I was a young kid, I did not have the opportunity to get this close to a professional baseball player and experience something like this.”

The former Tampa Bay Ray is on a mission to spread the love of the game while making single parents, like Candis, feel the love for all that they do for their families.

“This is what it’s all about,” Span said. “Just giving back, just giving back in general.”

Span understands single parents. He was raised by one. His mother is the source for the charity he and his wife Annie founded.

“What my mom had to go through, I don’t know how she did it, but she made her way,” Span said. “She did it gracefully. She didn’t complain.”

With each family his charity helps, Span sees a little bit of his mom in each of them. And those single parents appreciate the empathy.

“For someone to actually show them how special they are to me, it was really overwhelming,” Keel said. “Today is their day, so it was overwhelming for me.”

Now Keel and her kids will have memories for a lifetime. And an ally in Denard Span who understands the journey they go through together.

“Just overwhelming for my kids,” she said. “I’m excited for them to be here to get this experience today. To actually just belong to something that’s for them.