MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. -- Big leaguers are recognized most for their performance on the field, but some of their most important work takes place away from the ballpark.
Dodgers utility man Chris Taylor and his wife, Mary, held their second annual Polar Plunge fundraiser through their CT3 Foundation at the Manhattan Beach Pier on Sunday morning. Proceeds from the event went to the Friendship Foundation and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
More than 400 people signed up to take the plunge, according to the CT3 Foundation.
The Taylors pivoted to add the L.A. Fire Department Foundation as a beneficiary after the devastating wave of wildfires swept through greater Los Angeles in early January.
"The Friendship Foundation was extremely generous and on board with adding them, and we're just excited to help them out," Chris Taylor said. "What the firefighters have gone through and done for us has been so big, so it's good to see all of Los Angeles gathering together behind them and doing their part."
The Friendship Foundation is a nonprofit with the mission of helping children and young adults with disabilities foster connections and develop life skills. The foundation is currently building a campus in Redondo Beach that is geared toward providing vocational training for people with special needs.
The Taylors also raised money for the Friendship Foundation at last year's Polar Plunge, and they say the cause has become very dear to them. Many people with disabilities lose support programs after high school, and the Friendship Foundation aims to give those people the resources to build a network as they grow into adulthood.
"I don't have anyone in my life that I knew personally that had intellectual or developmental disabilities before I met the Friendship Foundation," Mary Taylor said. "And I think that shows the problem that people with special needs face, that they're not really able to become part of the community in the way they're fully capable of."
Wildfire relief is another cause that has resonated deeply with those living in Southern California. One-third of the funds raised on Sunday went to the Fire Department Foundation, and the CT3 Foundation has also raised more than $50,000 for the organization in a fundraiser on Instagram.
As an organization, the Dodgers have been involved in helping their home city recover from the wildfires through their annual Dodgers Love L.A. Community Tour and the state of California's L.A. Rises initiative.
"I think that everyone is one degree removed from someone who's been affected by the fires, so it's pretty easy to connect with it and find it in your heart to be generous," Mary Taylor said. "We're just so fortunate to be OK down here in Manhattan Beach, and I think it's our duty to give back."
There were plenty of Dodgers on hand to take the plunge with the Taylors, including Mookie Betts, Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman, Tanner Scott, Tyler Glasnow, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Evan Phillips, Tony Gonsolin, James Outman, Ben Casparius, Emmet Sheehan and Michael Grove.
Many of them were already in town for the past week's community tour and DodgerFest, and Chris Taylor was appreciative that his teammates took the time to come out to his foundation's event with the offseason winding down.
The Dodgers have spoken about how close they felt as a team last season, and much of that bonding happens off the field. It's even better when they all make an effort to come together for a good cause.
"That speaks to the closeness of our guys," Chris Taylor said. "We have a very close-knit group, and we support one another. It means a lot to me to have them all out here."