Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo is teaming up with Nationals Philanthropies to strike out ALS, kicking off the fundraising campaign by participating in The ALS Association’s CEO Soak. In addition to contributions made by Rizzo, his wife Jodi and Nationals Philanthropies to The ALS Association and its local DMV chapter, the organizations raised awareness for the cause by soaking Rizzo at Washington D.C.’s Yards Park with the help from Nationals mascots Screech and Teddy.
“If we can do something to give patients a better way of life and someday come up with a cure for this insidious disease, we felt it was our duty to honor my sister’s memory in trying to help,” Rizzo said. “The DMV is going to come through for us – I know it. They’ve always been supportive of us, and we think it’s going to be no different this time.”
Rizzo’s sister, Kim, was diagnosed with ALS in 2018 and battled courageously until her passing in 2020. In her honor, he is challenging general managers from across Major League Baseball to join him in the fight against ALS, and Nationals Philanthropies is making it easy for fans to show their support. The official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals, Nationals Philanthropies is donating all proceeds from its 5050 Raffle on Lou Gehrig Day, Friday, June 2, to The ALS Association DMV Chapter. Contributions made at give.nats4good.org/StrikeOutALS will also directly benefit the chapter, which helps to make ALS livable for families impacted by ALS throughout the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.
“ALS is a devastating disease and we are grateful to Mike and Jodi and Nationals Philanthropies for supporting our work to help other families who have been impacted by ALS,” said Calaneet Balas, President and CEO of The ALS Association. “Baseball has long been a critical partner in the fight against ALS and their support has already made a direct impact, enabling us to fund ALS research and expand care services for families affected by ALS, including military veterans.”
The CEO Soak was inspired by the Ice Bucket Challenge and encourages community leaders to once again get soaked while raising critical awareness and funds for The ALS Association’s mission. Funds raised through the Ice Bucket Challenge enabled The ALS Association to fund new treatments, create global research collaborations and provide care to many more families affected by ALS.
About Washington Nationals Philanthropies
Washington Nationals Philanthropies is the official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals. Its mission is to champion opportunities for all residents of the Greater Washington region to thrive by inspiring investment in the community. The organization delivers on this commitment by spurring investment in community-based programs that address the disparity of opportunity for residents of the region across a variety of needs. Since 2007, the foundation has issued over $6.6 million in grants to local organizations. Through its signature program, the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, the organization operates year round holistic youth development and baseball instruction activities. Since 2013, the organization has invested $42 million for facility construction and annual programming through the Academy. For more information about Nationals Philanthropies, visit nats4good.org.
About The ALS Association
The ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funder of ALS research in the world. The Association funds global research collaborations, assists people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of care and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association is working to make ALS a livable disease while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at www.als.org/.