Angels in the Outfield

Angels in the Outfield (AITO) is a baseball-themed, family-friendly peer-to-peer fundraising campaign where families honor their angel(s) while raising funds to support No Foot Too Small. The campaign culminates in either a day of celebration at an MiLB ballpark (April 26, 2026 in Des Moines and May 3, 2026 in Cedar Rapids) or with a baseball-themed “homestyle” celebration option families can host on their own from anywhere.

Families create free honorary teams, share their angel’s story, and invite friends and family to support the team through donations, custom shirt orders and Game Day ticket purchases. Fundraising milestones come with exclusive prizes, a chance to be inducted into the NFTS “Hall of Fame”, and even a chance to earn the Grand Prize (details coming soon!)

Anyone can participate—parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and community members are all welcome to join in honoring angels, whether that’s starting and leading their own team in honor of their angel(s), donating to a team, and/or purchasing a ticket to attend one of the MiLB baseball games on April 26, 2026 or May 3, 2026.

Team registration opens Monday, February 2, 2026 and closes Wednesday, February 18, 2026; family, friends and supporters may donate, share and support that team leading up to the fundraising campaign and prize eligibility deadline of May 10, 2026!

Visit www.nofoottoosmall.org/aito and sign up your team for free by February 18, 2026.

We’ve made exciting updates to make your experience simpler and more meaningful:

• The biggest difference this year is that our Game Day celebrations are on two separate days (April 26 in Des Moines and May 3 in Cedar Rapids). This is solely because of the MiLB game schedules! For those of you who have joined us in Cedar Rapids in the past, we will no longer have two separate seating areas. Instead, all the fun and community will be gathered in one spot!
• Everyone loved the addition of our tailgates last year, so this year we are offering even more activities before the game and a tailgate-only ticket for $10 per person.
• Fundraising incentives are more personalized to YOU! Because of this, we’ve increased the first fundraising milestone slightly to $75 to reflect the greater value of rewards.
• Our Homestyle celebration box is getting a refresh with new fun items.
• To keep it simple for our team captains and their supporters, we will only be selling our fan-favorite custom jerseys and one custom t-shirt design for 2026.

Many families use their angel’s name(s) and a meaningful number from 1-99 (e.g., birthdate or special year). Examples include “Claire’s Crew,” “Sweet P’s,” or “Brynlee’s Bunch.”

Custom team shirts and jerseys can be purchased by team members, family, and friends with your team or angel’s name(s) on the back. Shirts are available to order from February 23 to March 15, 2026.

The ordering window is open February 23 through March 15, and links to purchase a custom jersey or t-shirt will be available on this page during that time. Teams and their supporters can also access the links on their personal fundraising pages.

Team shirts and jerseys will either be shipped directly to you just in time for Game Day, or you can select “office pickup” at checkout and pick them up at NFTS HQ on April 23 from 9am-4pm!

Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns involve current supporters (like you!) inviting your friends and family to donate to a mission or cause you care about. The purpose of the Angels in the Outfield campaign is to share your angel’s stories and invite relatives, neighbors, coworkers and your communities to honor and celebrate them through a financial gift to No Foot Too Small.

After registering your team for free, you’ll receive a personalized fundraising link to share with family and friends. This unique landing page is customizable to give you the opportunity to highlight your angel’s story and will give you access to social media prompts and templates to provide inspiration and support throughout the campaign.

No fundraising experience is required, just love for your angel(s)! The No Foot Too Small team is here with you every step of the way and will provide resources and support to help you find the best way to share your story.

The official fundraising period will March 25, 2026 through 11:59 pm on May 10, 2026 (but teams can start as soon as they sign up for a better chance of earning prizes!).

Yes! While the formal fundraising period will be hosted March 25-May 10, all funds raised between the time your team is created and 11:59 p.m. on May 10, 2026 will be counted towards prize eligibility (this is why it’s recommended to set up your team early and get a head start!).

Prizes are cumulative and include the following once the corresponding fundraising amount has been raised:

$75: Two NFTS custom car decals with your angel’s name(s).
$150: NFTS tumbler.
$250: Custom Angels in the Outfield pink heart sign with your angel’s name(s) to be displayed
at the ballparks in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines on Game Day.
$500: Two (2) free in-person event tickets OR a discount on the Homestyle Box.
$1,000: Custom garden flag + custom All-Star collector’s bat.
$2,500: Baseball Bogg bag + NFTS stadium blanket.
$5,000: Two (2) tickets to the 2026 NFTS Annual Gala plus one (1) night stay at the Hyatt.
PLUS! Be entered into a drawing for a chance to win the Grand Prize!
$7,500: Prize TBD

PLUS! We will offer weekly “Extra Inning” incentives in addition to prizes beginning March 27, and any team who reaches $5,000 cumulative over all years of participation will be inducted into the No Foot Too Small Hall of Fame.

Any prizes or rewards earned prior to Game Day on April 26 or May 3, 2026 will be available for pick up on the day of the event. If teams are unavailable, choose not to attend, or receive additional donations and earn additional prizes after the ball game, special accommodations will be made for pick up.

The pink heart signs displayed at the ballparks on Game Day are an exclusive perk for Angels in the Outfield teams who raise a minimum of $250 and are not available for purchase.

Fundraising is strongly encouraged but not required. Teams can still attend the ballpark celebration and tailgate, purchase a shirt or host a homestyle event without fundraising, but we want our community to know that Angels in the Outfield is one of our largest fundraising events of the year. Every dollar raised supports No Foot Too Small’s mission to celebrate angels, unite families, and build birthing and bereavement suites across the country. All funds raised by our participating families allow us to extend our impact, ensuring more families can find hope and healing through this special community and don’t have to grieve alone. This is why sharing your story and why NFTS is important to you is so powerful – you are lighting the way for families who follow us in loss!

In-person events at Cedar Rapids and Des Moines MiLB ballparks include a family tailgate, children’s activities, and a baseball game for teams and their friends and family. Tickets can be purchased when you set up your team, on your team page or separately by supporters at nofoottoosmall.org/AITO no later than April 19 (Des Moines) or April 26 (Cedar Rapids).

Homestyle participants can celebrate from home with a local gathering or by watching baseball on TV. Homestyle party boxes can be earned throughout the fundraising campaign or purchased individually for $100 plus shipping before April 6.

You can celebrate “homestyle” by signing up a team and hosting your own event or enjoying a quiet day of remembrance at home. Fundraising rewards and team milestones apply to all participants regardless of whether they choose to attend on Game Day.

The Homestyle Box is an optional package designed to help you celebrate from home. Enjoy our customized “Ballpark Box” to celebrate your angel(s) homestyle from wherever you are! This includes all the things needed to have a fun day at home with family or host a small community gather, including fun swag, Angels in the Outfield Signs, cupcake toppers and more—just add your hot dogs!

Homestyle Ballpark Boxes cost $100 plus shipping. The last day to order will be April 6, 2026.

Tickets can be purchased during the team registration process or you can select “I’ll purchase my tickets later”. A link will be available on www.nofoottoosmall.org/AITO and on each team’s individual fundraising page to purchase up until the April 19, 2026 deadline for Des Moines Game Day or the April 26, 2026 deadline for Cedar Rapids Game Day. NOTE: All Angels in the Outfield tickets are nonrefundable, including in the case of inclement weather. If a game is postponed due to weather, your tickets will be valid for the rescheduled date per the MiLB ballpark’s policies. If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your tickets to someone else or consider your purchase a donation in support of No Foot Too Small’s mission.

All tickets for Angels in the Outfield 2026 will be sent virtually to the email address provided during your purchase. This means:

Your tickets will arrive directly in your inbox, making it easy to access and share with your group. (NOTE: tickets will be sent to the email of the original purchaser).

No need to wait in line on Game Day—just show your tickets on your phone or print them out for quick entry.

Yes! Fundraising rewards are cumulative, and donations can be made up until 11:59 p.m. on May 10, 2026. You may just miss out on the ordering period for custom shirts and jerseys (February 23 to March 15, 2026).

First-Time Participating Family Questions and Support: Kara (kara@nofoottoosmall.org)
Fundraising Questions: Stacey (stacey@nofoottoosmall.org)
T-Shirts & Game Day Questions: Melissa (melissa@nofoottoosmall.org)