Major League Baseball Players Trust

Baseball is America's past time and every year we enjoy cheering our teams to victory. But there is another reason to applaud our teams and root for our favorite players. All year, the Major League Baseball Players Trust is working behind the scenes to improve our communities. The Players Trust is a charitable foundation, established and administered by the players themselves. The foundation supports the players' individual charitable activities and augments their efforts with a core group of community outreach programs.

"The Players Trust's emphasis is on volunteerism. Players have so many skills and talents. The Trust offers them a way to give back to their communities," said Melissa Persaud, Manager of Marketing Services for the Major League Baseball Players Trust.

The Players Trust has many programs that reflect its commitment to volunteerism and community. These programs include:

• Buses for Baseball - Disadvantaged children and youth are bused to an unforgettable night of baseball. In addition to enjoying a baseball game and food, children are invited on the field to watch player warm-ups and interact with the players. For many of these youth, this is their first time experiencing a professional baseball game. The Players Trust has provided this type of trip for over 7,000 disadvantaged youth from over 167 organizations across the nation.
• Action Team - In 22 locations nationally, a select group of teens are chosen to visit the ballparks, meet players, and enroll in a community leadership program. They learn positive ways to volunteer and then take the messages back to their schools. At a national level, Action Teams have mobilized 1,700 volunteers and served over 70,000 people in need since the program was launched in 2003.
• Scholarship Program - The Players Trust awards one college scholarship to a teen that has shown outstanding commitment to community service in each of the 22 cities with the Action Team program.
• Baseball Workshops for Inner-City Youth - Focusing on inner-city youth, an annual baseball workshop teaches baseball skills while instilling valuable life skills. Working with the Baseball Alumni Association, these workshops are hosted by current and former baseball players.

In addition to supporting the valuable programs provided by The Players Trust, Summa Children's Foundation also links local charities in the Los Angeles community with The Players Trust's programs. As a result, this partnership has a positive impact on hundreds of local children served by many different charities in the Los Angeles community.

"Our foundation enjoys a long standing and successful association with Major League Baseball and specifically, The Player's Trust, which supports charities around the country," said Brian Werdesheim, Co-Founder of Summa Children's Foundation. The partnership was founded 8 years ago when Jim Miles, Co-Founder of Summa Children's Foundation was introduced to the Trust through major leaguer Bobby Bonilla.

"We value the contributions and talent of Summa Children's Foundation," said Melissa Persaud. "We hope it will continue in the future as we continue to serve more disadvantaged youth in Los Angeles and across the country."