White Sox Pitcher and the MLB Players Trust Reach out to Workers Who Have Shown Commitment to Saving Others During the Pandemic
Chicago, Feb. 8 – In an effort to show appreciation and gratitude for University of Chicago Medicine workers on the front lines of the pandemic, White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks and the Major League Baseball Players Trust will surprise five employees with a “thank you” call via Zoom.
This marks the seventh Zoom call of the MLB Players Trust’s “High Fives for Our Healthcare Heroes” national campaign. Through this initiative, Players are paired with a hospital in a city that they currently play or have played in to thank frontline workers for the difficult and selfless work being done across the country to bring an end to the pandemic.
In addition to the call, the Players will surprise the hospital with a $5,000 gift on behalf of the Players Trust to support employee relief and recognition efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hendriks, an Australia native, has pitched for the Twins, Blue Jays, Royals, Athletics and White Sox over parts of 11 major-league seasons. Last year he went 8-3 with a 2.54 ERA and recorded an American League-high 38 saves for Chicago. He made his second All-Star team and finished eighth in AL Cy Young Award balloting.
The five employees selected by the Chicago-based hospital system include: Gabrielle “Gail” Aranda, Social Worker; Claire Roberts, Registered Nurse; Dr. Willard Sharp, Attending Physician; Paul Soto, Patient Transporter; and Milissa (“Missy”) Weber, Emergency Room Tech.
The University of Chicago Medicine, with a history dating back to 1927, is one of the nation’s leading academic medical institutions. UChicago Medicine comprises the University of Chicago Medical Center, which offers a full range of primary and specialty care for adults and children through more than 40 institutes and centers; Ingalls Memorial, a community-based hospital and outpatient facility; a network of outpatient clinics and physician practices throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana; the Pritzker School of Medicine, one of the top medical schools in the nation; the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, with an affiliated 12 Nobel Prize winners in physiology or medicine.
The Major League Baseball Players Trust, charitable arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association, is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that harnesses the expertise, influence, and passions of players to create meaningful and sustainable change in the lifelong well-being of others.
WHEN: The Zoom call will take place this afternoon, February 8 at 12PM ET
WHERE: Footage of the call will be available to interested outlets at 2:30PM ET.