Major League Baseball and the Tampa Bay Rays joined forces on Monday morning to support local youth programming, contributing $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay through the World Series Legacy Project. The announcement and community event took place at the Pinellas Park Club, a facility with personal ties for former Rays outfielder Brett Phillips.
More than two decades after his mother dropped him off at the very same location as a summer camper, Phillips returned to the Pinellas Park facility as a team brand engagement executive and event ambassador. Accompanied by 10 former MLB stars and Hall of Famers, Phillips described the experience as a full-circle moment that brought back childhood memories.
“When I showed up, all of the memories came flooding back,” Phillips said. “My mom works 15 minutes from here, and I’m five minutes away, so she dropped me off on her way to work and here we are giving $50,000 away on behalf of the Rays and MLB to continue to pour into this place and the next generation of kids who will go on to do great things, so it’s awesome.”
The financial contribution is designed to benefit youth across six different Boys & Girls Club locations throughout the Tampa Bay community. April Brown, MLB’s senior vice president of social responsibility, noted that the league’s national partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs is currently celebrating its 30th year. She emphasized that off-field community engagement remains paramount to the league’s mission during marquee events like the Fall Classic.
“We’re committed to using the power of our sport to make meaningful and lasting change off the field,” Brown said. “Whether it’s in local organizations like today, or expanding opportunities for young people, or bringing people together to volunteer and give back, our goal is to leave every community a little bit stronger than when we found it.”
Freddy Williams, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay, stated that the $50,000 funding is critical for regional programs. According to Williams, the resources will directly support academic intervention initiatives designed to ensure thousands of children achieve grade-level reading proficiency, progress through school, and eventually graduate with a post-graduation plan.
“We’re making sure they have academic success, good character and leadership, healthy lifestyles — and we have a new element we’re focusing on, which is life and workforce readiness,” Williams said.
The Monday morning event featured a group of former big leaguers and baseball luminaries who helped distribute educational packs to attending children. The roster of participating athletes included Michael Bourn, Prince Fielder, Félix Hernández, Aaron Hicks, Scott Kazmir, Jed Lowrie, Jimmy Rollins, CC Sabathia, Gary Sheffield, and recently named Roberto Clemente Award winner Francisco Lindor.
During the gathering, Rays CEO Ken Babby and Williams shared stories regarding Lindor’s long-standing community involvement. Babby recounted that when Lindor was 18 years old and playing for Double-A Akron, which Babby owned at the time, the infielder independently asked how he could assist the local area, leading to volunteer work at a regional club.
Reflecting on the recognition and his return to a club setting on the morning of his award presentation, Lindor called the experience surreal. “It’s surreal [to hear the stories],” Lindor said. “[What it says is to] be who you are. Don’t change. You don’t know who you’re going to impact or the conversations you have that might stay in somebody’s mind.”
