The Los Angeles Dodgers were named a finalist for the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award by ESPN for a second consecutive year. The honor is in recognition of the work of the club’s official charity, the L.A. Dodgers Foundation (LADF).
In addition to the Dodgers/LADF, other finalists for Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year are the Denver Broncos (NFL), New York City FC (MLS) and Sacramento Kings (NBA).
“For Angelenos with limited access to education, sports, and healthcare, we strive to be a champion that increases the quality of life and confidence of the people we serve,” Dodgers Foundation CEO Nichol Whiteman said.
“We are honored by this recognition and the ability to use the historic Dodger brand and the power of sport to run and fund proven programs that impact the lives of those who need it most.”
The sixth annual Sports Humanitarian Awards is a celebration of the impact made by athletes, teams and industry professionals who are using sports to make a difference in their communities and throughout the world.
The LADF has invested more than $30 million in the community and has grown to impact over 2.3 million youth through direct programs and grants to local nonprofit organizations.
Included within that is providing for over 10,000 youth annually through its sports-based youth development program, Dodgers RBI; 10,000 youth through its L.A. Reads literacy initiative; over 9,000 students through the use of baseball as a STEM textbook in its Science of Baseball curriculum; and providing 368,000 youth access to safe, playable fields in their neighborhoods with 51 completed Dodgers Dreamfields, including two universally-accessible adaptive fields.
In partnership with Kershaw’s Challenge, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation broke ground at Gonzales Park to signal the beginning of construction on its largest Dodgers Dreamfields project to date.
The multi-million dollar renovation aims to provide safe park access to 28,000 local youth under the age of 18. The Dodgers Dreamfields at Gonzales Park — Nos. 55, 56 and 57 — will honor the Jackie Robinson family and revive baseball and softball play in the area among youth.
“When I look back and see the guys and girls that are going to get to play here, it’s a special thing,” Clayton Kershaw said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “It’s really a special thing. Like Anthony and Nichol were talking about, baseball is not just a game. It’s an opportunity for so many people to get to do so many different things.”
This year, the Sports Humanitarian Awards will combine with The 2020 ESPYS. All nominees will be featured in ESPN studio shows the week of June 15, and the winner will be announced during The 2020 ESPYS on June 21 on ESPN at 6 p.m. PT.
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