Mike Trout has always been one of the Angels' most important players on the field. Now, he's proving he's one of Orange County's most important players in the community as well.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire announced Thursday that Trout will become an ambassador for the organization. A press release indicated that Trout's "primary focus will be educating the community about the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters' mentoring programs."
"The Big Brothers Big Sisters mission works," Trout said in the release. "Their mentors are changing the lives of children in our community every day, and that's why I'm excited to be partnering with them."
Trout, one of the most accomplished players in the Major Leagues at just 24 years old, will assist with volunteer recruitment efforts, along with advocacy, marketing and fundraising.
"Mike has talked about positive role models in his life, and this partnership will help us recruit more volunteers for boys who don't currently have a male mentor," said Melissa Beck, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire. "We are eagerly looking forward to a long-term relationship as he helps attract volunteers to match with the hundreds of children on our waiting list."
The Orange County/Inland Empire chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, which has long been a partner with the Angels Baseball Foundation, provided more than 3,000 children with one- on-one mentors in 2015. According to the organization, 98 percent of children in the program graduated high school on time and 90 percent enrolled in college.