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.

A little more than seven miles southwest of Wrigley Field, situated in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, a large building has been rising from a once-vacant and overgrown lot. By next year, the halls, classrooms, gymnasiums and fields will be a hive of activity for kids in the area.

Jason Heyward played a part in the project, which had partnerships with the By The Hand Club For Kids, Intentional Sports, the Chicago Fire Foundation and other parties. The goal of the substantial multi-sports complex is to serve more than 25,000 people annually through sports, education and wellness programs.

It is one on a list of examples why Heyward was the Cubs’ nominee for this year’s Roberto Clemente Award.

“It's important to be myself,” Heyward said. “And I think that's something I've always done to the best of my ability, is to give back, is to be where people need you, to lend a hand and be helpful when I can. Just reading what's going on at the moment. That's a part of me as a baseball player, but that's a part of me as a human being.

“And it's just nice to be one of the many people that were helping a lot of different causes here in my time. You talk about legacy, it's nice to be able to implement multiple things that will be here when I'm not around anymore.”

Heyward, who is in his final season with the Cubs, met with media earlier this week to discuss his time in Chicago, being a part of the 2016 World Series team and his future. Since coming to the Cubs prior to that ’16 season, he has embraced the city as his own and the veteran outfielder plans on keeping a home in Chicago long-term.

Part of making the city his own was diving into community initiatives throughout his years with the North Siders. During the pandemic, specifically, Heyward made contributions to various groups, including MASK (Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings), the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Heyward has been a key figure for the Players Alliance, helping fund a nationwide tour to provide food, supplies and baseball equipment to kids around the country. He has donated his salary to charitable causes on Jackie Robinson Day in multiple seasons, and partnered on multiple projects with the By The Hand Club For Kids.

“I think it's a direct reflection of who he is in the locker room. Unselfish,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “This guy has been blessed with a lot of money and you don't hear about it. You see it invested in others, his time, his passion for the community, investing in that. There's a real example there.”

Heyward said it was an honor to be recognized, along with 29 of his peers, for the Clemente Award, which is “given annually to a player who demonstrates the values of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente displayed in his commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others.”

“That’s really special,” Heyward said. “Being able to pay homage to him.”