Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura brightens holiday season for children in the Dominican Republic

Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura will deliver gift-wrapped presents and books to students today at his former school in Samana, Dominican Republic. The event is part of a Major League Baseball Players Association initiative, with fellow Major Leaguers Nelson Cruz and Ervin Santana also delivering gifts this week at their respective schools. The players are visiting their former schools to help underscore the importance of education and to encourage youth to stay in school. They will share their own life stories with the students, read a passage from a book and personally deliver gift-wrapped holiday presents and new books to more than 1,200 students at schools in Monti Cristi, Samana and San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. The players are committed to helping improve the lives of children residing in their native country and towns, and to help ensure that they all experience the joy of unwrapping a present this holiday season. Funding for the initiative comes from their own personal contributions and the Major League Baseball Players trust.