Greene pays it forward at LA high school event

SHERMAN OAKS, CALIF. -- For as much as Hunter Greene is dedicated to his craft on the mound, he's just as committed to giving back to the community that fostered his growth during his formative years.

Saturday morning saw the Reds' hard-throwing right-hander return to his alma mater, Notre Dame High School, for a ceremony honoring the 2024 recipients of The Hunter Greene ‘17 Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Now in its second year, this special scholarship is described on the school's website as having been "founded to help close the financial gap for African American students who have limited financial resources, allowing them to have an equal opportunity to be successful while at Notre Dame High School and beyond."

This was Greene's second community event in the area in a few months, after he hosted a cleat giveaway in late November in nearby Chino Hills, Calif., at fields he played in tournaments in as a kid.

• Hunter Greene inspires youth with latest cleat giveaway

Saturday's ceremony saw Greene and Notre Dame High School recognize this year's recipients, Michelle Oppong, a sophomore, and freshman Nolin Lewis. Oppong has a 4.0 GPA, serves as the treasurer of the Private School Village (PSV) High School Council and national treasurer for the Junior Daughters Division of the Knights of Peter Claver, a national Black Catholic organization, among other extracurricular activities.

Lewis, meanwhile, has a 4.1 GPA and participates in the Black Student Union and the junior varsity basketball team, while already showing a personal passion for giving back to his community in the same way Greene has in his young baseball career.

"I wanted to create an opportunity for a lot of these amazing students that come here," explained Greene. "I went to Notre Dame High School, I know the opportunities that were given to me. There [are] the right people here that care about students' growth -- not just as a student, but as a person."

The scholarship fund, Greene continued, is about giving these young students everything they'd need to thrive at Notre Dame -- and afterward.

• Greene's charitable efforts began long ago

"To be able to come here to Notre Dame and feel the support," Greene said, "and to have the financial support to be able to finish their schoolwork, be able to finish four years here and go on to pursue their dreams, whether it's going into college or into their professional careers, that was really the spirit of creating [the scholarship fund]."

John Sweeney, a Beverly Hills attorney, friend of Greene's father and proud contributor to the scholarship fund, also made an appearance at the event -- in part to make good on a promise he jokingly made with seven-year-old Hunter.

"I'm very happy that he's using his platform as a Major League Baseball player to do good and give back," explained Sweeney, "and I also am here not only because I'm going to sponsor -- but because I came to collect a debt. I haven't seen Hunter since he was about seven years old before today. At the time, I asked him, 'Hunter, if you make it to The Show, are you going to give me a free ticket to your game [when you get there]?' Of course, nobody knows whether a seven-year-old is actually going to make it.

"You know what he said? He said, 'Yes, if you're still alive.' So I came back and I said, 'Hey, I'm still alive,'" recalled Sweeney with a laugh before adding, "there's so many kids that come along and have the platform that Hunter has, but they don't use it the way Hunter is using it, how he's given back. He's a great kid, I'm so very proud of him."

Shortly before a Knights alumni game pitting current players against Notre Dame alums including former big leaguers Brendan Ryan, Chris Dickerson and more, Oppong and Lewis posed for photos with their parents, Greene, Knights manager Tom Dill, Sweeney and other contributors to the scholarship fund.

Dill has been the Knights' manager for more than 25 years, and in 2022, he became the winningest coach in the history of the Mission League (in which the Knights play). Greene honed his skills as a high school athlete under Dill's watchful eye, as did everybody else returning to the school for the alumni game.

Handshakes, high-fives and smiles made up the vibe of the day, Dill reconnecting with many of the players he helped guide through their high school careers.

"It's the family," reflected Greene regarding the bonds borne on the Knights' baseball diamond. "It's the love, it's the support. You know, Coach Dill still reaches out to me during the season. We've always had a really, really great relationship. Something my dad highlighted and really wanted out of my four years here was, who's the man that's going to take care of his son when he's away from home? And Dill has done that, he's been great."

"I've always been big in philanthropy and giving back," said Greene, reflecting on his off-the-field efforts. "I had an amazing experience here at Notre Dame, I still have a great relationship with everybody."

Greene will now prepare to join his teammates for Spring Training as the Reds look ahead to the 2024 season -- but he still has aims at more charitable endeavors along the way.

"I usually do stuff with the youth academy in Cincinnati," he said regarding potential charity events in the months ahead. "I'm sure I'll figure out some other things. I usually do two to three events of some sort of philanthropy or community service during the season."