The Los Angeles Dodgers are known for their success on the diamond, but they were recognized for their humanitarian and charitable work off the field on Sunday night.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were named the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year at the 2020 ESPYS Presented by Capital One on Sunday night. The team was recognized for their work in conjunction with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF).
The organization has been working diligently over the years, tackling the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles and its citizens. Over the years, LADF has improved education, health care, homelessness, and social justice. In winning the ESPY, the team was awarded $100,000, and they announced that they would use those funds to continue to run and fund their current programs that have a proven track record for helping Angelenos.
“Our goal is to achieve the same level of excellence off the field that our fans demand from us on the field,” said Dodger Owner & Chairman Mark Walter, who also is chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “This is much bigger than baseball. We want to tackle the city's most significant challenges, such as unequal access to education, and we are striving to become the best philanthropic organization in the city working on these issues.”
LADF has invested more than $30 million back to the community over the years, including $21 million in the last five years alone. Recently, the Dodgers and LADF have been providing nearly 300,000 meals and over $650,000 in in-kind donations to help support vulnerable populations that have been affected by the COVID-19 virus.
“LADF was built for this moment in time. The trauma of a pandemic and social justice events has exacerbated the significant disparities in our communities. We know that inequality can only be dismantled through proactive and strategic interventions, and we are starting with the root causes,” said Nichol Whiteman, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “This award is a celebration of our organization’s accomplishments, but we are far from done. LADF will not waver. We will be part of the solution.”
The Dodgers won the award over the Denver Broncos (NFL), New York City FC (MLS), and the Sacramento Kings (NBA). All the teams nominated have been doing great humanitarian work in their local communities.
