Players Trust partners with DonorsChoose, Good Sports and Protect the Heroes Campaign to help support Denver communities
NEW YORK, July 8, 2021 – The Major League Baseball Players Trust will celebrate its 25th anniversary by highlighting Players’ charitable efforts through the years in television segments scheduled to air during the Home Run Derby on ESPN and the All-Star Game on Fox.
In addition to the primetime segments, the Players Trust, which was the first 501 (c) 3 charitable foundation in professional sports run by the Players themselves, has launched its national “REEQUIP” campaign in collaboration with charitable partners DonorsChoose, Good Sports and Protect the Heroes Campaign.
In Denver, the “REEQUIP” campaign will provide support to communities in need of school supplies, sporting equipment and behaviorial health assistance by quickly deploying products and resources to teachers, coaches and healthcare workers. Over $250,000 has been committed to this campaign.
During the Home Run Derby, ESPN will air a 60-second segment recognizing the work of Players Trust over the years and will highlight a local beneficiary of the “REEQUIP” campaign, Athletics & Beyond. The segment will relive a recent moment when student-athletes from the Montebello neighborhood in northeast Denver were surprised by a visit and donation from Colorado Rockies reliever Mychal Givens and former Rockies outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds.
The second segment, which will air during FOX’s broadcast of the All-Star Game, will be a 30-second spot with a voice over by Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, featuring the Players Trust partners and their wide range of assistance to international and domestic communities.
“The Players Trust has helped communities—both near and far—in their moments of need over the last 25 years,” said Amy Hever, Director of the Players Trust. “I am inspired by the commitment and support of so many Players to so many causes, and I look forward to working with this generation of Players as they build on that legacy of caring and giving over the coming years wherever challenges arise.”
Additionally, Denver’s Black community will be a beneficiary of the Players Trust partnership with the Players Alliance and the Alliance’s “AMPLIFIED Grant Fund. ” Black-owned businesses and nonprofits are among organizations eligible for funds.
OneTeam Partners, a Players Trust business and philanthropy partner, will be a supporting sponsor for the “CAMP” youth clinic, hosted by the Players Alliance during All-Star week. On All-Star Monday, several former MLB Players will join kids from the surrounding area at the historic Sonny Lawson Field in Denver, providing baseball gear and training in skills that will help them grow both on and off the field.
For over 25 years, the Players have been committed to making a difference in their communities by contributing time, money, and celebrity to help those in need and encouraging others to also get involved. Over the years, Major League Players have supported a wide range of organizations and programs, granting tens of millions of dollars. Currently, the foundation focuses its giving efforts under the following pillars: youth development, education, health and wellness, military service, advocacy, and relief and rescue.
Since 1996 the Players Trust has:
Distributed more than $25 million to over 1250 charities;
Responded to crises, domestically and internationally, with both financial and in-person support to aid in the immediate and long-term recovery efforts in areas struck by national disasters;
Contributed over $1 million to charities in places that Major Leaguers call home;
Provided instruction to inner city youth in baseball and important life-skills through clinics;
Come together to raise awareness for communities and populations in need.
Follow the Players Trust on Twitter (@MLBPlayersTrust) and Instagram (@mlbplayerstrust).