Yu Darvish makes donation to Jackie Robinson Foundation
Rangers pitcher presents $42,000 check to Rachel Robinson on Wednesday in Japan
Tokyo, Japan-Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish has made a $42,000.00 donation to the Jackie Robinson Foundation to help fund college scholarships.
Darvish presented a check to Rachel Robinson, the wife of the late Jackie Robinson and the Founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, on Wednesday during Mrs. Robinson's visit to Tokyo. During his major league career, Robinson wore the number 42, which has been retired by Major League Baseball.
Founded in 1973 in honor of the Hall of Fame second baseman who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, the mission of the Jackie Robinson Foundation is to "provide generous four-year college scholarships in conjunction with a comprehensive set of skills and opportunities to disadvantaged students of color to ensure their success in college and to develop their leadership potential."
Over 1400 students have benefitted from the generosity of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which has provided some 50 million dollars in program support.
Since joining the Rangers in 2012, Darvish has provided financial support to Major League Baseball's RBI program and this summer's Equipment Drive to benefit the residents of West, Texas, which sustained the devastating explosion and fires on April 17, 2013. In addition, Darvish also helped fund the visit of a 16-member youth baseball team from Ishinomaki, Japan for the TOMODACHI Initiative in North Texas in August 2012.