MLB spreads 'Winter Wishes' to Boys & Girls Club in Stamford
Elizabeth Muratore
@elizmuratoreNEW YORK -- It’s the season of giving in Manhattan, where Major League Baseball employees have been hard at work helping those in need during the holiday season.
Since 1997, MLB has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to support underserved children across the country. One of their annual collaborations is the “Winter Wishes” holiday gift wrapping event, which has been held since 2002.
This year, MLB is supporting the Boys & Girls Club in Stamford, Conn., which helps over 3,000 kids in need each year. Over the past several weeks, children from this BGC chapter wrote letters to Santa with their holiday wish lists. MLB employees then donated approximately 115 gifts to fulfill these requests.
On Monday, two of MLB’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) -- MLB Women and Athletes to Executives -- teamed up to host “Winter Wishes” and make it as merry and successful as possible, with around 75 employee elves pitching in to wrap gifts.
“There's a lot of underserved children in the country that aren't getting exactly what they want for Christmas,” said Linda Przygodski, senior director of digital initiatives and outgoing co-chair of MLB Women. “Most people that work here have the means to buy a gift that might really make a difference in a kid's life. I know every employee really loves to do it. When we get together to wrap them, we wanted to continue on that Christmas spirit.”
When participants arrived at “Winter Wishes,” they were given a gift with a number corresponding to the child slated to receive it. All sorts of presents were donated, including dolls, play sets and sports equipment.
From there, employees wrapped and ribboned their gifts to perfection before dropping them off behind a counter, ready to be whisked away to a child in need. For those feeling particularly daring, skateboards and large stuffed animals provided additional wrapping challenges.
“Winter Wishes” participants were treated to more than just an hour of service. There was a raffle containing several baseball-themed prizes, and handpicked holiday songs set the mood over the loudspeakers. To further sweeten the deal, hot chocolate and cider quenched everyone’s thirst while local small businesses supplied pastries, cookies and popcorn.
“Something we've really made an effort to do was have food here from diverse business partners,” said Melissa Bristol, manager of international baseball investigations and compliance and the main organizer of “Winter Wishes” this year. “It's putting our money literally where our mouth is. If you're a women's resource group, why not help out women-owned businesses and diverse-owned businesses?
The generosity extended westward, as MLB offices in Boulder, Colo., San Francisco and Costa Mesa, Calif., are hosting their own versions of “Winter Wishes” for local Boys & Girls Clubs. Meanwhile in Stamford, dozens of children are about to have their holiday wishes granted.
“The partnership is a very joyful event, a very festive event,” said Rowena Track, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford. “It's to bring normalcy and joy to so many underserved and deserving youth. And we are grateful for that partnership.”
Track ensures that “every child has a wish that gets fulfilled” around the holidays. She noted that the kids at the club are often overcome with emotion when receiving gifts from initiatives such as “Winter Wishes.”
“Some kids break down in tears,” Track said. “If they had given their wish and it is something that they really want to have, and this is the only way for them to have it. … It's overwhelming for some of the kids. We really are grateful.”
“Winter Wishes” is one of many ways that Baseball is giving back around the holidays. On Giving Tuesday (Nov. 29), all full-time MLB employees received $25 to donate to a non-profit of their choice. MLB Network recently partnered with the Jersey Cares Coat Drive, which collects and distributes winter wear to New Jersey residents in need every holiday season. There was also a program throughout November in which MLB employees wrote holiday notes to send to military members.
Additionally, during the Winter Meetings, MLB expanded its partnership with the BGCA by holding a charity auction to fund the establishment of a new Boys & Girls Club in Uvalde, Texas.
After an hour of hard work on a chilly afternoon, the gifts were wrapped and ready to be sent out to the kids in Stamford, who are no doubt looking forward to the holidays already. They’ll receive the gifts sometime before Christmas Eve, when their school breaks begin. By then, Santa Claus will be well on his way toward spreading holiday magic to children around the world.
Here's how MLB clubs are giving back this holiday season:
Shriners Children’s Boston
Our patients and families were over the moon to meet with and get autographed baseballs from players of the Red Sox earlier this week! Thank you to Jarren Duran, Reese McGuire, Josh Winckowski, and John Schreiber for stopping by to help ring in the holiday season!
Wally
Come skate with me & @TessieTGM at the Frog Pond on the Boston Common presented by @LLBean!
Free skating, rentals, & snacks! Register now: http://redsox.com/skatewithwally
Yankees:
New York Yankees
Today we hosted our Holiday Food Drive, presented together with C-Town and Bravo supermarkets and Krasdale Foods. This year our fans & Krasdale Foods donated 103,430 lbs. of food to support the Bronx community this holiday season. Special thanks to @aybaybader for lending a hand!
New York Yankees
The Yankees, in conjunction with the Bronx Clergy, will distribute all food collected to families throughout the Bronx this holiday season. Additionally, 4,000 food vouchers will be provided to those in need to use toward food purchases.
Rays:
Tampa Bay Rays
@RaysCommunity Week of Giving kicked off today with backpack donations at Campbell Park and Lakewood Elementary schools with some help from @colinpoche and @BayfrontHealth
Rays Community
Our Week of Giving continued last night with a visit to @FeedingTampaBay's Trinity Cafe. Rays staff served dinner for the guests of Trinity Cafe, which is a free, full service restaurant for those in need of a healthy meal.
Rays Community
Week of Giving Day 2 -
Rays staff visited @SVdP_SP Community Thrift Store & Center of Hope, restoring the playground, painting, upgrading the laundry facility and donating supplies. St. Vincent de Paul is committed to ending homelessness: making it rare, brief and one-time.
Tampa Bay Rays
@RaysCommunity Week of Giving continued today in Charlotte County as employees joined with @TeamRubicon to help #HurricaneIan recovery efforts #FloridaStrong
Tampa Bay Rays
Thanks again to @colinpoche and @BayfrontHealth for joining us in donating backpacks to kids at local schools as part of the @RaysCommunity Week of Giving
Tampa Bay Rays
Last night, along with @fssfamilies, we were honored to host the adoption finalization ceremony for 18 forever families and celebrate at @EnchantStPete!
Rays Community
Our Week of Giving wrapped up today with a delivery of toys to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlotte County. Thank you to Rays & Rowdies staff and season members for their donations! And special thanks to our friends at Good Greek Moving & Storage for transporting the toys!
Blue Jays:
Jays Care Foundation
Thank you @IndigoLOR for including gift cards in our Winter Hampers this year, and helping to spread the love of reading with over 1,400 @JaysCare youth and families facing significant barriers #IndigoLoveofReading
Jays Care Foundation
This week, we hosted our annual Turn The Page event presented by @Rogers and @TD_Canada!
Thanks to @FirstBookCanada and @Microsoft, over 900 educators from 435 schools across the GTA took home 200 FREE books and a version of Minecraft for their school
White Sox:
White Sox Charities
In celebration of the [Allan H. Selig] award the Paul and Sandra Garrett Foundation, longtime friends of White Sox Charities, will match total donations to the ACE program up to $6,000 for the next week. Donate now at http://Whitesox.com/ace
Guardians:
CLE Inspires
This offseason, Josh Naylor and his youth travel team supported the Shoe Box Project, filling shoeboxes with gifts for women in emergency shelters and temporary housing in Toronto.
Their goal is to give a gift to women, showing them they matter and others care about them.
CLE Inspires
The @CleGuardians staff adopted the East Tech Boys & Girls Club for Christmas. A special delivery is on its way! #ForTheLand
Royals:
Kansas City Royals
Serving the KC community one meal at a time. @royalscharities // @BlueKC
Twins:
Twins Announce Plans for 17th Annual Holiday Week of Giving
Oakland A’s
We're helping spread holiday cheer throughout the community with a #WeekofGiving
Today, we made a donation to @OaklandOPR toward equipment and supplies for their T-ball program benefiting all Oakland youth that participate in their after school and summer programs!
Oakland A’s
On Giving Tuesday and part of #WeekOfGiving, we made a donation to the @oaklandedfund toward the purchasing of new coats and jackets for 600+ Newcomer students this holiday season!
Oakland A’s
Week of Giving continues! We're making donations to the City of Oakland Community Toy Drive and Family Giving Tree to provide over 1,000 families & 450 East Bay children with gifts + toys this holiday season!
@oakland | #WeekofGiving
Oakland A’s
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Our donations to @bacn_nursery and @covenanthouseca helped provide Thanksgiving meals to 500 families and 150 youth holiday gifts throughout the Bay Area.
Oakland A’s
Week of Giving wraps up with Oakland Elizabeth House and Salvation Army receiving donations to help provide meals and support Children's Programs and Family activities throughout our community! @HopeOEH | @salarmydeloro
Mariners:
Seattle Mariners
Spreading holiday cheer
Rick Rizzs was joined by J.P. and Kathy Crawford, Marco and Monica Gonzales and the family of the late Dave Henderson during this year’s @TFKSeattle toy distribution event.
Seattle Mariners
What it’s all about! @MarcoGonzales_, @jp_crawford and Rick Rizzs stopped by the Yesler Community Center and Harborview Hospital over the weekend to get in the holiday spirit with hundreds of kids.
Braves:
Atlanta Braves Foundation
Members of our @Braves front office staff spent today volunteering at the Clark's Christmas Kids warehouse to ensure that every child in the Georgia foster care system will receive gifts this holiday season. Thank you, @GADFCS and @ClarkHoward!
Mets:
Amazin’ Mets Foundation
As part of our 'Senior Smiles' program, our team volunteered to bring some holiday cheer and serve warm meals at @EncoreCommServ in NYC. @MrMet and @mrsmet joined us in handing out @Mets prizes & connecting with Encore's senior members. #BeAmazin #EncoreNYC
Amazin’ Mets Foundation
Our fans are simply Amazin'! Thank you to all who came out to donate to our 16th Annual Winter Coat Drive. Your generosity helped surpass our goal. We collected over 2,100 coats for @newyorkcares, which will keep New Yorkers in need warm this winter! #BeAmazin
Amazin’ Mets Foundation
Thanks @GrowNYC for another successful 'Eat Smart with the @Mets,' a nutrition program that encourages healthy eating and provides nutritional knowledge for students. This week, @MrMet & @mrsmet joined the students of P.S. 329 in Queens and helped prepare 'Rockin' Rainbow Slaw!'
Phillies:
Philadelphia Phillies
We teamed up with @Kissesforkyle last Thursday to throw four-year-old "Mighty" Aaron Kline a Winter Wonderland Surprise Pep Rally as he battles cancer
Nationals:
Inova Health
@Nationals mascot, Screech, visited Inova today to spread holiday cheer, rally around Poppy’s Toy Drive! You, too, can bring smiles to our littlest patients. Donate today at http://inova.gives/PTDGivingTuesday & your gift will be matched through Dec. 31 to support children in Inova’s care.
Cubs:
Cubs Charities
Spreading holiday cheer! @Cubs associates wrapped and distributed gifts to local children at the @ChicagoCAPS19.
Cubs Charities
Sweets, treats and holiday eats! @Cubs associates helped bake, package and ship holiday treats with @MisBakery!
Cubs Charities
As part of the @ChicagoCares Winter Gear Drive, Cubs Charities is collecting NEW winter clothing, such as coats, hats and gloves, now through Dec. 11 at the @Cubs store at Gallagher Way. Donors receive 20% off their purchase!
Cubs Charities
@Cubs associates partnered with @BlessinBackpack to fill backpacks with food for kids at Pedersen-McCormick @BGCChi. Thank you for making a difference!
Pirates:
Pirates Community
We’re celebrating the holidays with local families at the Latino Community Center! Follow along on Instagram: http://bit.ly/3W0sVo7
Pirates Community
Jack Suwinski, Quinn Priester and the Pirate Parrot dropped off holiday gifts for local families at the Latino Community Center this afternoon!
Pirates Community
Giving back to the community is part of being a Pirate. We're proud to give back to local families this holiday season.
D-backs:
D-backs Give Back
It's the most wonderful time of the year @ChaseField! This week #DbacksGiveback hosted over 550 kids at our annual Winter Classic event presented by @UOPX. Check it out!
D-backs Give Back
We had so much fun spreading the holiday cheer in partnership with Homeward Bound! #Dbacks players, alumni, and staff provided teens with a shopping spree for the 13th straight winter.
Giants:
SF Giants
Giants in the community
Earlier today, Gabe Kapler, Alyssa Nakken and Austin Slater planted trees throughout NoPa along with members of @NuveenInv and @SFUrbanForester