by Erin Edwards
Prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the San Diego Padres to become National League Division champs, a pregame ceremony took place to celebrate the longstanding partnership between the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) and the California Masonic Foundation on Sept. 26.
In 2024, the Masons raised over $75,000 through their Masons4Mitts program, in which they give quality-leather mitts to youth playing baseball and softball at no charge.
Since the inception of the partnership in 2015, the Masons have now contributed over $526,000 to LADF, helping to provide thousands of gloves for participants in the Dodgers Dreamteam program.
Dodgers Dreamteam is a comprehensive sports-based youth development program that uses the power of sport to provide critical resources and services to communities who are experiencing social injustices.
LADF works in partnership with 16 Affiliate Partners to deliver sports-based programming and wraparound services for 13,000 youth and to support communities and families across the city. As theDodgers Dreamteam program continues to expand within the community, LADF aims to serve 25,000 youth annually by 2030.
As of 2024, over 26,000 gloves have been provided to Dodgers Dreamteam participants, thanks in large part to the generosity of Masons4Mitts.
The financial support has helped ensure that youth, regardless of socioeconomic status, have access to the equipment necessary to play baseball and softball. There is 25% less youth participation in sports in homes earning under $25,000, while nearly one in four youth continue to live in poverty in Los Angeles County.
By providing uniforms, gloves and other essentials, LADF works to eliminate these barriers.
“Since the summer of 2015, the Masons of California have proudly supported the Dodgers Dreamteam,” said Doug Ismail, President of the California Masonic Foundation. “Our shared values make this partnership special. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is dedicated to providing all children in the LA area with access to opportunities ranging from education and mentorship to the joy of being part of a team. We are thrilled to have surpassed the $500,000 mark in total donations, and we look forward to continuing this incredible work in the years to come.”
Visit Dodgers.com/DodgersDreamteam to learn more. If you are interested in supporting the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation in its mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos, you can purchase a 50/50 Raffle ticket during a home game, purchase a Ribbon Board Message, bid on Online Auction items or donate.
The Gift of a Glove was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.