Miami Marlins pitcher Anthony Bender, who was raised in Petaluma and played baseball for Casa Grande High School and Santa Rosa Junior College, is raffling off a pair of baseball gloves to raise money for a nonprofit supporting Petaluma youths — and there are still several days left to purchase tickets.
The raffle, which began last month and closes at 11 a.m. Dec. 21, is in partnership with Gloveworks and will feature two winners, one receiving an Anthony Bender replica glove and another receiving a red, white and blue infield glove, according to the fundraiser website. Both gloves are donated by Gloveworks, Bender’s sponsor.
Proceeds from the raffles will go to the Trevor Smith Memorial Foundation, a local nonprofit supporting Petaluma youths through scholarships for athletics, drama and other enriching activities. “This foundation is close to (Bender’s) heart,” states a post on the fundraiser website.
“I’m teaming up with the Trevor Smith Memorial Foundation back in my hometown of Petaluma,” says Bender in a post on his Instagram page at instagram.com/anthony_bender28.
Those wishing to participate can purchase either a single raffle ticket for $10, six tickets for $50, or 13 tickets for $100. The tickets are available online at zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/trevor-smith-memorial-foundations-annual-raffle–2025.
The Trevor Smith Memorial Foundation was established after Trevor died in 2012 at 13 years old following a roadside accident on Highway 101 near Ukiah. He was well known in the Petaluma community not only for his love of baseball but for his kind and personable character.
As a boy himself, Bender played with the Petaluma American Little League before playing for three years on the Casa Grande varsity baseball team as a dominating pitcher, a standout shortstop and leading hitter. He went on to pitch and play infield for two years with the SRJC Bear Cubs.
Bender was drafted by the Kansas City Royals as the 613th pick in the 20th round of the 2016 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut in 2021 after he was signed by the Marlins in 2020.