Cheers to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a Great Season On and Off the Field
Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers for an incredible season, not only for winning the 2020 World Series Championship title, but for rising to the moment with every challenge this year has brought.
For those who don’t follow baseball, the game six victory marks the team’s first World Series championship since 1988 in a 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Rays. With three World Series appearances in the last four years and eight division titles, their triumph against the Tampa Bay Rays was long-awaited.
But that’s not all that was accomplished.
Despite a tumultuous year and a shortened baseball season due to COVID-19, the team remained committed to tackling key issues including education, healthcare, homelessness and social justice for those living in Los Angeles and beyond.
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF), the charitable foundation for the franchise, awarded more than 900 education grants, distributed over 5,000 books and supported 9,000 kids in youth development programs. Think Together is a longtime partner of LADF and works with the foundation to provide coding and robotics, college readiness and social and emotional learning programs in Los Angeles County.
Over the season, the Dodgers made headlines stopping in hard-hit cities to help communities reeling from the impacts of COVID-19. Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts delivered masks and sanitizer in his hometown of Nashville as well as aid to Compton residents through the nonprofit Pull Up Neighbor.
Leading up to their series victory, LADF hosted Dodgers RBI Dodger Day Drive-Thrus, providing food and basic essentials for families in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. In total, the drive-thrus gave more than 132,000 meals and nearly $500,000 in resources.
Their community efforts earned the franchise the title of Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year during the 2020 ESPYs presented by Capital One. The award honors a sports club/team that demonstrates how teamwork can create a significant impact on a community or cause.
Overall, LADF has invested more than $30 million in programs and grants to nonprofits, including $21 million in the last five years. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Los Angeles Dodgers and LADF are providing 279,280 meals and $659,227 in in-kind donations to support vulnerable populations who are experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, lack of basic needs and significant anxiety.
“We are so incredibly proud to partner with a team that not only serves as positive role models for our youth but leads by example through the work they’re doing to support social justice work in our community and support programs like Think Together’s that truly have the potential to change the odds for kids,” said Lawrence Gustafson, Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations.
For more information about our corporate donors or for ways to support Think Together, visit thinktogether.org/corporate-support.