Tensions ran high in this year’s World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays. But the fiercely contested matchup has given way to a show of respect that has connected fans across borders and raised money for a good cause.
Donations totaling nearly $30,000 to SickKids, a pediatric hospital in Toronto, have flooded in from Dodgers fans since Los Angeles edged the Blue Jays for its second straight championship.
The hospital told the Toronto Star that it has received contributions from more than 400 U.S.-based donors. Sandra Chiovitti, a spokesperson for SickKids, said that all of those donations included a message about the Blue Jays or baseball, and that 20 of those donors signed up to contribute monthly.
“I was obviously very happy that the Dodgers had won, but I’ve suffered a lot of sports heartbreak in my life, too, and can recognize that this was a devastating loss for the Blue Jays and their fan base,” Helen Cumberbatch, one of the donors, told the Star. “I hope this becomes a lasting tradition.”
Calls for donations surfaced on the Dodgers’ Reddit page shortly after the club's Game 7 triumph over Toronto, inspired in part by the contributions Blue Jays fans made to Seattle Children’s Hospital following the Jays' American League Championship Series win over the Mariners.
Many commenters said they would donate $51 as a nod to the Blue Jays relievers who wore No. 51 on their caps during the World Series to honor Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia, who missed the Fall Classic while he and his wife Kayla dealt with a “deeply personal family matter.” Members of the Dodgers’ bullpen also wore Vesia’s No. 51 on their caps throughout the World Series.