Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Mookie Betts exceeded lofty expectations in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing second in National League MVP voting and helping the organization end their World Series drought.
In addition to his contributions on the field, Betts emerged as a key leader in the Dodgers clubhouse. He delivered a motivational speech in Spring Training that set the tone for the 2020 season and was credited by teammates for sparking numerous comebacks.
With it being the holiday season, Betts has continued to give back to the community as well. He recently returned to his hometown of Nashville, Tenn., to surprise families in need with Christmas gifts, via Kaylin Jorge of FOX 17 WZTV Nashville:
Baseball star and Nashville native Mookie Betts is helping make Christmas a little brighter for families in the Edgehill neighborhood. The L.A. Dodger, FOP and Plaza Mariachi all donated toys to Metro Police’s Midtown Hills Precinct that are going to 23 families and 83 kids.
Among the gifts that Betts helped give away is the brand new PlayStation 5 that many people had atop their wishlist this year.
The kind act surely put a smile on the faces of those families, who have been negatively impacted by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and tornadoes that caused damage in the area this past March.
Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation providing essential services, donations
Like Betts, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) has continued to give back to the local community, with efforts carrying through the holiday season.
The LADF has worked with partners, corporate sponsors, volunteers and nonprofits to provide 478,000 meals and more than $2.2 million worth of food, water, hygiene necessities, educational items and Dodgers products to those in need.
“We are saddened by the ongoing pandemic and its continued devastation of our communities,” Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation CEO Nichol Whiteman said in a statement. “We are committed to ongoing relief efforts during the holidays and for as long as it takes.”
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