Press Releases : 2009- 2008

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Baseball Stars on Deck to Help the Poor in the Dominican Republic 

Baseball is a popular pastime for Dominican children. USAID and Major League Baseball recently created an alliance that encourages players from the Dominican Republic—and their fans—to donate money to help community development projects in the country. USAID set aside $1 million in funding.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic—Major league baseball stars have joined with USAID and local NGOs in an alliance in the Dominican Republic that puts baseball to work for children, community health workers, and the poor.

Pedro Martinez, the three-time Cy Young winner, and David Ortiz, a five-time All-Star now with the Boston Red Sox, were among several ball players who joined with U.S. officials when the alliance was announced Nov. 19 in Santo Domingo.

U.S. Ambassador P. Robert Fannin, a passionate baseball fan, said: “This alliance innova­tively channels the baseball-mania culture of the country—fans, players, teams, and sponsors—in the alleviation of poverty through supporter con­tributions leveraged with USAID funds.”

USAID is committing $1 mil­lion in incentive funds over three years. Major League Baseball (MLB) and the collaborating NGOs are committing office space, time, and personnel to launch and run the alliance. The U.S. Peace Corps is also provid­ing a full-time volunteer.

The alliance hopes to provide every MLB Dominican player—over 400 are signed every year—an opportunity to help their native communities and for MLB teams to support some of the 30 communities with player devel­opment academies.

Resources from the alliance will improve the quality of life in local communities while engaging MLB stars in projects that serve long-term development goals. Projects will focus on education, health care, youth, economic development, and job creation.

Richard Goughnour, USAID Dominican Republic mission director, emphasized the role baseball can play as a catalyst for other community endeavors.  “Baseball is the singularly most popular and influential force in the Dominican Republic. When a ball player participates in any event in the countryside, the entire commu­nity shows up; when a team sponsors a cause in the capital city, businesses line up to lend their support,” Goughnour said.

“We have been working with MLB and a number of superb NGOs for several months now to develop a mechanism to turn this national passion into a dynamic force for development.”  Non-profit organizations in the alliance include World Vision, Save the Children, Plan International, Esperanza International, Batey Relief Alliance, and the Dominican Institute for Integrated Development. U.S. fans can donate to these organizations which provide community ser­vices and manage USAID resources.

Joe Garagiola Jr., MLB senior vice president of baseball opera­tions, commented that the alli­ance is a worthwhile way to rein­force MLB’s commitment in the Dominican Republic. “This is an opportunity to make that relation­ship even better, and that’s a wonderful thing,” he said.

The network that broadcasts MLB games in the Dominican Republic has agreed to run pub­lic service announcements pro­moting alliance projects.

“The biggest potential is the fan base,” said Jeff Cohen, a USAID program officer at the mission. “American baseball fans love their Dominican players.  “The more they know about where these players come from and the hardships their commu­nities endure, the more they will be willing to help. Not just the boys looking to play baseball in the Major Leagues, but the com­munities at large. “We’re hoping to identify partnerships between communi­ties in the U.S., baseball and those Dominicans dreaming of a better life.”

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