This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian's Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CHICAGO -- Dansby Swanson and his wife, Mallory, understood that they were in a unique position in the sports world. Dansby mans shortstop for the Cubs at Wrigley Field, while Mallory plays forward for Chicago Stars FC in the National Women’s Soccer League.
The Swansons have a city behind them, and they wanted to find a way to show they could get behind Chicago beyond the field, too.
“Honestly, ever since Mal and I have been together,” Swanson said, “it’s been something that we’ve put a priority on, just being to help other people.”
That is why the Swansons created the Purpose and Calling Foundation, which has partnered with multiple groups around Chicago with the goal of helping kids through sports, education and community spaces. And the work Dansby and his wife have done helped the Cubs shortstop earn his team’s nomination for the annual Roberto Clemente Award.
The Clemente Award is given each year to the player “who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” Voting for the Clemente Award is currently underway and will last through the end of the regular season, with the winner being announced during the World Series.
“It’s an incredibly high honor,” Swanson said. “Baseball and your career itself and the game is obviously one thing, but I think we are all called for a bigger purpose in that. And that’s to be able to help other people, help other people achieve their dreams, give anyone and everyone the best opportunity and chance they can to be able to succeed in life and be able to enjoy life and all it has to offer.
“For Mal and I, we are incredibly blessed people. To be able to share those blessings with other people and to be able to help anyone in need has always been on our heart. We’re just so thankful that we get the opportunity to do that with the Purpose and Calling Foundation, being able to help underserved, underprivileged youth, whether it’s in sports, school, you name it.”
Earlier this season, Dansby and Mallory held “The Swanson Games” fundraising event – during which teammates from the Cubs and Stars participated – and raised more than $700,000 for the foundation. Their foundation also committed $200,000 to help build a public playground in nearby Evanston, Ill.
The Swansons partnered with New Life Centers to help expand its “Light the Night” program, which provides sports, meals and activities in safe spaces for kids around Chicago in the summertime. Dansby also sponsored one of the baseball teams included through that organization.
Swanson has also hosted kids at Wrigley Field throughout the season, covering the costs for transportation and food. The Swansons have also read children’s books for kids at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. The foundation has also teamed up with Lydia Home to provide gifts to foster kids during the holiday season.
“We always had dreams and talked with one another about creating a foundation that could help people,” Swanson said. “Once we got here together, we just saw this huge importance and need to be able to impact the community where we play. Obviously, we’re both grateful that it’s here together.
“Being able to help the kids in our community – as much as Marietta [Georgia] is also home for us – this is, too. Just being able to impact the community that supports our careers, supports us as people, for us to be able to give back is such a blessing for us.”