The Tampa Bay Rays may have suffered a brutal loss in Game 3 of the World Series, but kids throughout the region still walked away winners on Monday.
Major League Baseball and the Rays announced Monday morning that the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay is the recipient of their World Series Legacy Project. The nonprofit, dedicated to giving children a pathway to a brighter future, will receive $50,000.
The organization’s Pinellas Park Club, about 8 miles north of Tropicana Field, hosted a presentation ceremony and subsequent volunteer event. Brett Phillips, former Rays outfielder and World Series hero, once attended summer camp at the facility.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, the newly named Roberto Clemente Award winner, and 10 former MLB stars and Hall of Famers joined Phillips at the ceremony to fill backpacks with supplies and interact with children.
Freddy Williams, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay, said the support from sports icons and local leaders “really makes all the difference in the world” to often-underserved kids.
“Having opportunities and experiences are exactly what young people need to ensure that they can go on to be productive, caring, responsible citizens,” Williams said. “They’re inspired by what they can learn through sports, whether it be resiliency or teamwork, and we’re so proud that we’re able to provide that.”
Six locations throughout Tampa Bay will benefit from the initiative. Those include the Pinellas Park Club, the Royal Theater Club in South St. Petersburg and the Tarpon Springs Club in Pinellas County.
Despite the Royal Theater being just a mile from the Trop, many attendees rely on ticket donations from the Rays and MLB for their first stadium experience, Williams said. “And when they show up at the ballpark, they’re treated like VIPs.”
The $50,000 will also support the Jeff & Penny Vinik Family Club at Winston Park, the Sam & Laurice Hachem Foundation Temple Terrace Club and the Freddie Solomon Club in Hillsborough County.
Williams said the funding will help ensure thousands of kids read at grade level and progress to the next. “So they ultimately are graduating from high school.”
April Brown, senior vice president of social responsibility for MLB, said the league is “committed to using the power of our sport to create meaningful and lasting change off the field.” The overarching goal is to “leave every community a little bit stronger than when we found it,” and World Series Legacy Projects play an integral role.
The volunteer event was part of MLB’s A250 initiative, which honors America’s 250th anniversary. League officials hoped to accrue 250,000 volunteer hours this year. Brown said participants logged 279,656 before Monday’s work began.
Notable volunteers included former stars Michael Bourn, Prince Fielder, Félix Hernández, Aaron Hicks, Scott Kazmir, Jed Lowrie, Jimmy Rollins, CC Sabathia and Gary Sheffield. MLB has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs for the past 30 years due to the organization’s impact, Brown said.
“They provide young people with safe spaces to learn, they build relationships and they discover new interests and develop the skills they need to succeed,” Brown said.
The event was a full-circle moment for Phillips, a Seminole native who recalled his mother dropping him off at the Pinellas Park Club more than 20 years ago. He dreamed of playing professional baseball, and the organization provided support, encouragement and a safe place to practice.
“You have people in your corner who want to help you learn, grow and discover what you love,” Phillips told the kids. “My journey came with challenges and mistakes, but I kept working hard and stayed positive. Whatever your dream is – in sports, school, art or something you haven’t discovered yet – believe in yourself and keep taking steps towards it.”
MLB did not officially recognize Lindor as the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award recipient until just before Monday night’s game, which ended with a 10-1 blowout to the Milwaukee Brewers and the Rays hoping to avoid elimination in Game 4.
Rays CEO Ken Babby said the team has contributed over $350,000 to local Boys & Girls Clubs since their partnership began in 2009. He and Williams also highlighted Lindor’s long history with the organization.
Babby recalled an 18-year-old Lindor joining the Akron RubberDucks, a minor league team he owned at the time, when the Puerto Rican native asked unprompted what he could do to help the community. That resulted in a longstanding relationship with the Boys & Girls Club.
“This is a very special day,” Lindor told MLB.com. “It’s surreal … You don’t know who you’re going to impact or the conversations you have that might stay in somebody’s mind. It’s just how I live life and how my parents taught me to be.”
