Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association Tuesday announced a joint donation to the Red Cross of $1 million for Venezuela earthquake relief after the twin earthquakes on June 24.
“This contribution will help the Red Cross to provide emergency assistance such as shelter, healthcare, mental health services, access to safe water and the distribution of essential relief items,” the press release stated. “The combined $1 million donation will provide a framework by which the Red Cross and its international partner societies can directly deploy essential resources to support these overextended relief networks.”
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes hit just 39 seconds apart on June 24, in what the U.S. Geological Survey called a “doublet sequence.” Nearly 2,000 people are confirmed dead, and thousands more remain missing. Tens of thousands have been injured and required medical care or hospitalization. UNICEF estimated that approximately 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children, require humanitarian aid.
The Boston Red Sox have been conducting relief efforts as well throughout this homestand, which concludes Wednesday. Red Sox player families and staff will again be collecting monetary donations at the ballpark gates prior to and during Wednesday’s 1:35 p.m. ET series finale.
Donations can also be made online at www.RedSoxFoundation.org/Relief. One-hundred percent of proceeds will be directed toward disaster relief efforts.
There are five Venezuelan players on the club’s active roster: right-fielder Wilyer Abreu, first baseman Willson Contreras, infielder Andruw Monasterio, catcher Carlos Narváez and left-hander Ranger Suarez.
Contreras has spent the past week using his social media following to drive donations for Venezuela and playing with added purpose. He hit a three-run homer to give his team an enduring lead in their 6-3 series opener win Monday night, and shouted “Venezuela” and flipped his bat as the baseball soared over the Green Monster. The veteran star was overcome by emotion and in tears for several minutes in the dugout after he rounded the bases.
“I feel like I could be there helping people, and I can’t do that, and the homer just represents something I prayed to God for it to happen,” Contreras said postgame. “Because that’s the only thing I can do for Venezuela right now physically. … Of course I’m helping the team to win and it’s good, but I think every homer from now on is going to be for the Red Sox and Venezuela.”
Abreu, Contreras, and Suarez were among the Red Sox personnel on Jersey Street collecting donations before Tuesday’s game. They were joined by veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, wearing one of Contreras’ Team Venezuela World Baseball Classic jerseys.