{"id":530374,"date":"2026-03-10T05:33:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T05:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/530374\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T05:33:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T05:33:09","slug":"diamondbacks-honored-for-charitable-milestone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/530374\/","title":{"rendered":"Diamondbacks honored for charitable milestone"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX \u2014 March 9 is a foundational day on the calendar for the Arizona Diamondbacks, as on this day in 1995, Major League Baseball awarded an expansion franchise to Phoenix.<\/p>\n

Thirty-one years later, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs proclaimed March 9 will be \u201cD-backs Give Back Day\u201d annually to honor the baseball franchise for hitting $100 million in charitable giving.<\/p>\n

D-backs Hall of Famer Luis Gonzalez delivered the announcement on Hobbs\u2019 behalf at an event with 100 non-profit partners and donors at Chase Field to commemorate the milestone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t always control the results on the field \u2026 but we do control what we do when it comes to giving back to our fans and making them proud of that impact we make,\u201d D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe give back more each year than all of the other local sports teams combined.\u00a0We\u2019re very proud of that. We don\u2019t do it so we can brag. \u2026 We understand that we\u2019re a community asset, and we understand our social responsibility as a franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Diamondbacks raised over $13.2 million last year, a team record, with $7.2 million having been distributed to this point, the team said. The D-backs raise money through events such as the Evening on the Diamond and D-backs Race Against Cancer, along with the 50\/50 raffle at each home game.<\/p>\n

A significant portion of the money went toward healthcare, youth sports, education and veteran services, with specifics from 2025 including:<\/p>\n

$100,000 for Phoenix Children\u2019s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders<\/p>\n

$200,000 for Ivy Brain Tumor Center<\/p>\n

$150,000 to Arizona schools<\/p>\n

Full\u2011tuition scholarships for first\u2011generation students<\/p>\n

3,000 backpacks distributed statewide<\/p>\n

Free Nike RBI Baseball and Softball programs<\/p>\n

Girls Play Ball clinics<\/p>\n

$250,000 for supporting transitional housing for veterans<\/p>\n

The D-backs were named a finalist<\/a> for MLB\u2019s Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence for hosting the largest Native American youth baseball and softball tournament.<\/p>\n

Youth sports has been a focal point of the foundation. The Diamondbacks claim to have the largest youth jersey program in professional sports across 120 leagues in Arizona and have renovated or built 46 fields in the state. Hall told Arizona Sports that uniforms and caps were greatly needed in little leagues to alleviate costs for families.<\/p>\n

Among keynote speakers at Chase Field were Marcia Mintz, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley<\/a>, with whom the Diamondbacks built a branch in Phoenix.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are so proud and deeply grateful to call the D-backs our most enduring and trusted partner,\u201d Mintz said. \u201cOur club members remember every single time a player looked at them and shook their hand.\u00a0But just as important, the magic of baseball. You\u2019ve always made sure club kids, families and even our staff can attend games.\u00a0They can play baseball and they can feel the electricity as they\u2019ve had the privilege to run on this field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marc Ashton, the former Foundation for Blind Children<\/a> CEO, said a $1 million donation from the Diamondbacks allowed his foundation to provide talking computers to every blind child in Arizona.<\/p>\n

Hall said that the foundation is operating on a pace where it will reach the next $100 million in giving much faster.<\/p>\n

Major league franchises have the means to make significant community impacts with their large platforms and high-profile athletes to rally people to causes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all work together,\u201d Hall told Arizona Sports regarding Arizona\u2019s other pro sports teams. \u201cThey\u2019ll call us and ask us how we do certain things. I think all boats rise, so as long as we continue to do what we do and hopefully the other teams do the same, because everybody cares. All our teams care about the community, we all understand the social responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event ended with Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick reciting the phrase, \u201cIt\u2019s a great day to be a D-back.\u201d<\/p>\n

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