D-backs front office to visit Dominican Republic

PHOENIX - Thirty members of the Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) front office, led by President & CEO Derrick Hall (@DHallDbacks) will visit the Dominican Republic on a five-day trip beginning June 10. The group, which includes the winning team from the D-backs Give Back League and the MVPs of the other eight teams, will visit the team's academy in Boca Chica and dedicate a nearby field that the organization has recently renovated.

Hall and D-backs Vice President of Latin Affairs Junior Noboa will host a news conference on June 11 at 5:00 p.m. at the Jaragua Hotel in Santo Domingo. Media is also welcome to cover the dedication of the new field in Boca Chica, located near the team's academy on June 12 at 10:30 a.m.

"We are all looking forward to this visit both as a reward for the winning team of the innovative D-backs Give Back League and as an opportunity to dedicate a field in Boca Chica," said Hall. "For many of our employees, this is their first visit to the Dominican Republic and I'm confident this is the largest contingent of front office members for any team ever visiting the D.R. at the same time. I expect this will be a trip that none of us soon forget."

While in the Dominican Republic, the group of employees will take in a Dominican Summer League game and tour the colonial district of the capital, Santo Domingo. At the field dedication, employees will donate baseball equipment for use by local youth. The field was completely leveled and among the improvements made by the D-backs is new grass with improved irrigation, new dugouts, a rebuilt seating area with new concrete foundation and new bathrooms.

The D-backs Give Back League, created in 2012, is a unique volunteer effort that ties the organization's culture of innovation to its community contributions and involvement. It was created last summer by employees of the organization seeking to find a way to volunteer for organizations that matter most to them. In November, nine teams presented what they had accomplished in the Phoenix community to their colleagues at Chase Field with Team Circling for Success being voted as the most impactful. Their project provided a facelift and essential everyday needs for the homeless community at Ozanam Manor.

The other teams' projects ranged from the renovation of four Child Protective Service offices around the state that assist foster kids to the renovation of a school playground; from reading to homeless children to packing "bags of hope" for youngsters who go hungry each weekend; and from building a homeless shelter to passing along the love of giving back in the community to those less fortunate.

This trip marks the fifth international visit within the last year by Hall and the D-backs organization as they continue to expand the team's reach internationally. In August, Hall joined General Manager Kevin Towers and Luis Gonzalez on a goodwill tour of Japan and the club has taken three different trips to Mexico in the past eight months, visiting Hermosillo twice and Mexico City once as part of a Trade & Protocol Mission for the City of Phoenix.

A complete list of D-backs employees making the trip as follows:

Derrick Hall

Tom Harris

Cullen Maxey

Marian Rhodes

Craig Bradley

Josh Rawitch

Demar Amacker

Steve Behling

Jennifer Bernstein

Luis Calderon

Tom Demeter

Tim Emory

Leslie Farrell

Kate Goff

Greg Green

Matt Helmeid

Rayme Lofgren

Alison Lund

Brooke Mitchell

Cory Parsons

John Prewitt

Travis Rockey

Julie Romero

Richard Saenz

Tim Smith

Jeff Swanson

Tiffanie Tallman

Kellie Tarin

Kristie VanEngelen

Jon Willey