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Major League Baseball Leadership and New York Yankees All-Star Alex Rodriguez Presented $1 Million Check to Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade at Yankee Stadium
$1 Million Check to Support Expansion of Southwest Club in Miami, Where Rodriguez and Numerous Major League Players Learned the Game
Bronx, N.Y. – Sept. 28, 2015 -- Major League Baseball Chief Operating Officer and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Board of Governors Member Tony Petitti, along with Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees All-Star and fourth on baseball’s all-time home run list, presented a $1 million check to Alex Rodriguez-Roig, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, and James Bernhardt, longtime Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade board member and mentor to Rodriguez. The check is from the MLB Urban Youth Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit that oversees and funds the MLB Urban Youth Academy network and similar youth-related programs. The check was presented at Yankee Stadium on the field before the Yankees vs. Red Sox game on September 28, 2015.
The donation will further the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade and help to expand its Southwest Club, allowing it to serve more youth, help young people recognize their potential, and realize their dreams.
“We are incredibly grateful to the MLB Urban Youth Foundation and our own Alex Rodriguez for their shared generosity,” said Rodriguez-Roig. “With the efforts of organizations and individuals partnering like MLB and Alex have done today, we will make a greater impact on youth who benefit from Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade.”
As a child, Rodriguez attended Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s Southwest Club, where he participated in its baseball program. He flourished at the Club, remaining a member until the day he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners. He has been a Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade supporter since he signed his first professional baseball contract in 1993.
"Along with Major League Baseball, I am excited to help expand the reach of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. I owe the Club a debt of gratitude and hope this gift will allow them to help more kids reach their potential. I want to thank Commissioner Manfred and Tony Petitti for their support of the Miami Clubs’ great work," said Rodriguez.
“Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a vital charitable partner of Major League Baseball, due to the positive and long-lasting impact it has on the lives of children across the country,” said Petitti. “We are grateful for this opportunity to make a significant contribution toward the benefit and well-being of young people and their communities within Miami-Dade County.”
Based on a 2013 Economic Impact study, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade provides an annual overall community impact totaling $78 million in income generations and savings to Miami-Dade County families and taxpayers as a whole.
For more information, please visit bgcmia.org.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade has been serving youth in the community since 1940. What once was a single building and site for boys has grown to five Clubs serving thousands of boys and girls year round, providing programs in the areas of character and leadership development, educational enhancement, career preparation, health and life skills, cultural arts and sports, fitness and recreation. Club staffing, initiatives, and programs are designed to inspire and enable young people and provide them with the resources to succeed and share in the American Dream. For more information, please visit www.bgcmia.org.
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Photo Caption: L to R: Alex Rodriguez-Roig, president Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade; James Bernhardt, past Board Chair of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade; MLB COO Tony Pettiti; and Yankees player Alex Rodriguez. Credit: New York Yankees