Marlins give back to community with Ayudan Day

MIAMI -- A week before Thanksgiving, the Marlins are offering their time and energy to give back to the community.

The front office was shut down for the day on Thursday as every department in the organization took part in the sixth annual Marlins Ayudan Day of Service and Philanthropy. The day is held in partnership with The Miami Foundation's Give Miami Day.

"Giving back is central to the Marlins' commitment to corporate social responsibility," Marlins president David Samson said. "Not only will we be partnering with The Miami Foundation and Give Miami Day for the third straight year, Marlins Ayudan Blue Shirts will immerse ourselves in nine locations for really cool activities."

The Marlins Aydan Day of Service and Philanthropy jump-starts a busy four-day stretch at Marlins Park.

On Friday, the Marlins, in partnership with Feeding South Florida, will host their sixth annual Thanksgiving distribution at Marlins Park. During the event, 1,000 pre-selected families in the local neighborhood will receive Thanksgiving meals donated by the Marlins and local community partners. Each family will receive a Thanksgiving bag, which includes a 10-pound turkey, fixings and dessert.

Over the weekend, Marlins Park will be open for baseball, hosting the first Serie de las Americas, a two-day tournament that will feature teams from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Competing from the Dominican Republic will be the Aguilas Cibaenas and Tigres de Licey. From Venezuela, the clubs are Navegantes del Magallanes and Cardenales de Lara.

Thursday's Ayudan Day of Service and Philanthropy started on the West Plaza at Marlins Park, where Marlins employees were split into nine Service Squads. Each squad will participate in two activities: generating philanthropic funds for Give Miami Day and participating in a service project with their community partner.

From 1-4 p.m. ET, teams will begin their service projects with each of their corresponding partner organizations.

The nine Marlins service project locations are:

• Citizenship: Vizcaya Gardens and Museum -- 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, 33129
• Commitment: Greynolds Park -- 17530 West Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach, 33160
• Courage: Marian Center -- 15701 Northwest 37th Avenue, Miami Gardens, 33054
• Determination: Kensington Park Elementary -- 711 Northwest 30th Avenue, Miami, 33125
• Excellence: Pepper Park -- 1355 Northwest 135th Street, North Miami, 33167
• Integrity: Humane Society of Greater Miami -- 16101 West Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach, 33160
• Justice: Miami Rescue Mission -- 2159 Northwest 1st Court, Miami, 33127
• Persistence: Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus -- 300 Northeast 2nd Avenue, Miami, 33132
• Teamwork: Miami Senior High School -- 2450 Southwest 1st Street, Miami, 33135