Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation expands Dodgers RBI in Northeast and East LA
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) today announced the significant expansion of Dodgers RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) in Northeast and East Los Angeles, affording an additional 2,000 boys and girls the opportunity to participate in the program in those regions.
On Saturday, LADF will host nearly 500 Dodgers RBI players for an Opening Day celebration presented by Partnership for a Healthier America's Drink Up campaign and a Dodger Day presented by ARCO at Belvedere Park located at 4914 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles. The day kicks off at 8:30 a.m. with a youth baseball and softball clinic for registered participants, and Dodger players will join the event at 10:15 a.m. for a workout, conducted by NIKE.
Following the clinic, there will be a brief program featuring Hilda L. Solis (First District, Board of Supervisors, County of Los Angeles), John Wicker (Director, County of Los Angeles, Department of Parks and Recreation), Blanca Gonzalez (Vice President/General Manager, NIKE West) Ryan Hawkins (Board Member of the Rod Dedeaux Foundation) and Nichol Whiteman (Executive Director, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation). Dodger Alumni Dennis Powell, Al Ferrara and Billy Ashley will also be on hand, and Dodger broadcaster Jorge Jarrín will emcee the program.
Dodgers RBI participants at Belvedere Park will be joined by boys and girls from Highland Park Recreation Center, Montecito Heights Recreation Center, Pecan Recreation Center, Obregon Park, East Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club and Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club for the clinic, which will be conducted by San Gabriel Valley Arsenal and the Natasha Watley Foundation, featuring two-time Olympic medalist and former UCLA softball player Natasha Watley. The clinic will also include officers from the Los Angeles County's Sheriff's Department as part of The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation's Badges for Baseball program.
The Dodger Day will include games, Dodger Alumni meet and greets, photos with the Dodger bobblehead character, giveaways and activations by several program sponsors and partners. Activations include Gazillion Bubbles' car and five-foot bubble tower machine, eye screenings conducted by Vision to Learn and distribution of bilingual books by Read Conmigo. All players will receive pizza courtesy of Papa John's, snacks courtesy of KIND and water courtesy of Dasani. Volunteers from Dodgers RBI Gold sponsor Bank of America will be on hand to assist throughout the day, and iHeartMedia will supply music for the event. Badges for Baseball ambassador and country music artist Matt Stillwell will be attendance to give players the opportunity to try out various instruments.
"Water has so many benefits, but the top reason to drink water is because it's a simple way to give families and children the fuel they need to feel great. Partnerships with organizations like the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and their support of the Drink Up program can help everyone in this community make choices that help them be their best," said Larry Soler, President & CEO, Partnership for a Healthier America, which will be on hand to promote the Drink Up initiative and offer water samples and giveaway items.
"ARCO is thrilled to be a sponsor of Dodger Days. Our continued partnership with the Dodgers has given us the opportunity to provide the next generation of scholars and athletes the resources they need to succeed," said Bill Crader, ARCO Brand Manager.
Dodgers RBI is a baseball/softball youth development program that simultaneously aims to increase participation in the sport and use sport participation as an engagement tool that increases access to education, literacy, health, wellness, and recreational resources in some of Los Angeles' most underserved communities. Dodgers RBI is bigger than baseball and focuses on youth character development as it engages communities and families in programming. In its 2017 season, Dodgers RBI will serve over 7,800 players, ages 5-18, across 57 locations in Greater Los Angeles County and Long Beach.
Dodgers RBI is part of an international Major League Baseball initiative, which provides more than 200,000 disadvantaged youth in over 200 cities an opportunity to learn and enjoy the game of baseball, while helping them to grow on and off the field. MLB RBI was birthed in 1989 in South Central Los Angeles by John Young, a former Major League Baseball player and scout.