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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis 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,\u201d the press release stated. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u201cdoublet sequence.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 1:35 p.m. ET series finale.<\/p>\n