LOS ANGELES -- What Clayton Kershaw does in his Monday night return from the injured list will impact this Dodgers season. What he and his wife, Ellen, did before the game will impact Southern California long after we’re all gone.

In honor of the 72nd anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in MLB and coinciding with Robinson’s birthday centennial, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and Kershaw’s Challenge have partnered to refurbish Jackie Robinson Stadium and construct a new “Field 42” at Gonzales Park in the City of Compton.

The partnership represents a tighter relationship between the club’s charitable entity and the non-profit foundation that Clayton and Ellen Kershaw established in 2011 to serve vulnerable and at-risk children living in Los Angeles, Dallas, Zambia and the Dominican Republic.

“What Jackie Robinson did 75 years ago represents an ongoing opportunity for a lot of kids,” Clayton Kershaw said. “Those are a lot of the same values we’re trying to instill in Kershaw’s Challenge. Giving a lot of kids that might not have an opportunity to play baseball a chance to play. Baseball’s not the most important thing, but it presents an opportunity to be part of a team, with people that care about you and take time to teach you and mentor you, that’s the goal. Hopefully these fields can do that.”

While every MLB team celebrates Jackie Robinson Day on April 15 -- with every player wearing Robinson’s No. 42 -- the Hall of Famer played only for the Dodgers, and the Dodger Stadium celebration is like no other.

The Dodgers hosted Robinson’s widow, Rachel, his daughter, Sharon, and his son, David. Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully was present. Pregame ceremonies included a performance by singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc and an appearance from 14-time Grammy-winning musician Herbie Hancock. The team also recognized 42 current and former Jackie Robinson Foundation scholars (six of which are current Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation scholars), while students from Robinson’s elementary, middle and high schools -- Cleveland Elementary School, Washington Middle School and John Muir High School -- received pregame honors.

In addition to all players wearing No. 42, the Dodgers' uniforms paid homage to Robinson with several tweaks, including Brooklyn caps, an older style jersey cut on the shoulders and arms, a throwback to the 1947 “Dodgers” script and the number style used in '47.

But the Dodgers-Kershaw partnership takes it further than an annual celebration.

“Jackie Robinson Day is always a special day in Los Angeles, and it’s hard to think of a better way to honor his legacy and celebrate his centennial birthday than by increasing access to youth baseball and softball in Compton,” said Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “The Gonzales Park Dodgers Dreamfields, renovating Jackie Robinson Stadium and building ‘Field 42,’ are large-scale projects, and we couldn’t do it without the support of Clayton and Ellen Kershaw and Kershaw’s Challenge. We’re grateful to have such amazing partners for this project and look forward to continued joint ventures in the future.”

This marks the third Dodgers Dreamfield location that Clayton and Ellen Kershaw have supported along with the universally accessible field at Baldwin Hills Recreation Center and the 50th Dreamfield at Algin Sutton Recreation Center.

“I’ve been here a while now and going to be a while longer,” said Kershaw, who is signed through 2021. “It’s great to see, with the Dodgers’ help, we can do a lot of things in this city and be a help to a lot of kids, not just with baseball.

“The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation sets the bar high for exceptional service to our city. We are proud to consider them our close friends and co-laborers in finding unique ways to reach underserved children and families,” the Kershaws said in a release. “The Dodgers Dreamfields program in particular aligns with our love for the game of baseball and our desire to see more kids engage in the opportunity. It is an honor to officially join hands with LADF as one of our 2019 Kershaw’s Challenge beneficiaries. We believe in their work and we love their team.”

The renovation of Jackie Robinson Stadium includes upgrades to the field, outfield fence, dugouts, scoreboard, backstop, lighting, bathrooms/locker room facilities and spectator viewing areas. The new “Field 42” will serve youth ages 5-12 and enhance the playing experience for baseball and softball players in the area with a new large LED scoreboard, windscreens on the outfield wall, an enclosed batting cage and a new irrigation and watering system to ensure that the field stays ready for play well into the future.

The Gonzales Park Dodgers Dreamfields help fulfill the vision of Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) founder, the late John Young, as he aimed to attract more youth to the sport of baseball/softball and create a state-of-the-art sports facility in the City of Compton. With a youth population of more than 10,000 and a poverty level of 26.6 percent in the area, these fields will help increase park access and contribute positively to community outcomes. The site is expected to serve 360 youth this spring in the first season of Dodgers RBI at Gonzales Park.