With the holidays compassing and a new year started, it’s heart-warming to see all the good that is done for those in need.
One thing that the Baltimore Orioles have been very strong with is their philanthropy to the surrounding communities in Baltimore, Sarasota and their minor league affiliate cities.
This time around, it’s Major League Baseball as a whole that came through this holiday season.
Before Christmas, volunteers from the league would visit the Variety Boys & Girls Club in Astoria, where they would hand out treats to kids aged 6-13.
This was the 22nd year that MLB has partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of America. Together, they have created yearly initiatives that support undeserved youth across 5,000 BGCA clubs nationwide.
For the first time in 22 years, the event wasn’t held at the MLB Offices in New York. MLB felt it was best to visit the kids in their own surroundings, where they would feel comfortable.
“It’s always a season of giving, and we love it when we have partners like MLB who can help us give an amazing day to our kids. We are thankful for all of this,” said Leah Carter, the chief advancement officer of Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens. “It means joy and laughter. It means happy faces all around. It means the world to us that such a large national partner cares enough to come into our building and be a part of this with us.”
The event started with some kids’ favorites in the form of pizza, chicken fingers and potato wedges while juice boxes and water were available to wash the meal down.
The kids were then treated to a magic show by Randy Masters and his wife Angela Carranza.
“It’s extra special this time of year,” Masters said about the event. “It’s all about the giving. I love how the kids are energetic. It’s a magical time of the year. I live for this.”
Santa Claus then arrived when kids received gifts ranging from a chemistry set to a scooter. MLB then handed out games and puzzles to the kids to complete the event.
MLB had the kids from Astoria write down their wish lists, which then was collected and fulfilled by MLB Together, the league’s social responsibility group. MLB employees then signed up to fulfill a specific child’s wish.
“We are first class,” said John Swartz, MLB’s manager of community affairs. “We try to do right by the community, bringing things of value to this club. Boys & Girls Clubs of America are an amazing partner to us, and we want to be an amazing partner to them. In the spirit of giving, we tried to deliver this year.”
In the spirit of giving, MLB provided magic for kids who needed a little bit more of the Christmas Spirit.
What do you think of MLB’s initiatives this holiday season? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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