Baseball is more than just a game for many people from the Dominican Republic. It can be an escape, an opportunity, and a lifelong love. Unfortunately, many individuals from the DR also don’t have the basic resources that many of us take for granted, turning a chance to play baseball into nothing more than a dream.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright wants to change that.

Aside from being a veteran stud pitcher entering his 14th season, Wainwright is also the co-founder of non-profit organization, Big League Impact. Their goal is to connect players and fans with communities in need around the world.

In 2018 alone, Big League Impact (BLI) raised a total of $1.07 million for communities in need with help from 24 total major league players, a partnership with Yahoo Sports and the generosity of thousands of fans.

The organization’s impact was clear when Wainwright and others visited the Dominican Republic in December, spending time with one of those very communities. In partnership with Food for the Hungry, BLI created the “Striking Out Poverty” campaign.

Through “Striking Out Poverty”, Wainwright, 10 other MLB players, and fans across the globe raised $200,000 for various projects across the Dominican Republic. Some of these included baseball fields, water systems, and food and farming programs.

“One of the things that we’re trying to do here at Big League Impact is take players out into the world to experience these things and know that there’s people out there that need our help, and that we CAN help,” said Wainwright.

Players like Wainwright will be hosting events at Top Golf locations as well as private fantasy league drafts in stadiums across the country, in order to try and make 2019 even better than 2018!

If you’d like to learn more and/or if you’re looking for a way to contribute, please visit Big League Impact.