Dodgers win 2020 ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year

On Sunday night, the Dodgers were named the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year at the ESPY Awards. The award was in recognition of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. The LADF plans to use the $100,000 from the award to continue to run and fund proven programs in Los Angeles that will help level the playing field and invest in on the ground solutions.

The LADF spends their time in the community tackling the most pressing problems in Los Angeles. They emphasize improving education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all. This is the sixth annual Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year award, which honors a sports club/team that demonstrates how teamwork can create a significant impact on a community or cause.

Here’s what Mark Walter, the Dodgers’ Owner and Chairman had to say about winning the award.

“Our goal is to achieve the same level of excellence off the field that our fans demand from us on the field. This is much bigger than baseball. We want to tackle the city’s most significant challenges, such as unequal access to education, and we are striving to become the best philanthropic organization in the city working on these issues.”

Water is also the chairman of the LADF.

The LADF has invested more than $30 million in programs and grants to nonprofits, including more than $21 million over the course of the last five years. As a response to COVID-19, the Dodgers and the LADF are providing nearly 300,000 meals and over $650,000 in in-kind donations to supports vulnerable populations. They are helping to provide in places that experience a high number of homelessness, food insecurity, lack of basic needs and significant anxiety.

Here’s what Nichol Whiteman, Chief Executive Officer of the LADF had to say.

“LADF was built for this moment in time. The trauma of a pandemic and social justice events has exacerbated the significant disparities in our communities. We know that inequality can only be dismantled through proactive and strategic interventions, and we are starting with the root causes. This award is a celebration of our organization’s accomplishments, but we are far from done. LADF will not waver. We will be part of the solution.”

The foundation supports over 100 nonprofits every year, including serving over 10,000 youth every year through their sports-based youth development program, Dodgers RBI. This provided nearly 400,000 kids a year access to safe and playable play spaces through the 51 Dodgers Dreamfields.

Here are some notable videos of the LADF helping out in the community.