The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Shohei Ohtani has pledged $500,000 in relief support following the destructive wildfires in the city, as Major League Baseball’s MVP says his heart “goes out to” all the firefighters battling away.
Infernos erupted on Tuesday, January 7 and swiftly began ravaging the Golden State by torching over 40,000 acres of land across seven different sites. 12,000 buildings have been demolished, and at one stage it looked as though the famous Hollywood Hills sign could succumb too.
Tragically, over 25 people have lost their lives in the disaster and a further 200,000 have been displaced from their homes as local governments frantically evacuate men, women and children to safety with barely any belongings.
Local sports have been cancelled in the city and some of its illustrious celebrity names such as Anthony Hopkins, LeBron James and James Woods haven’t been spared from the blitz, which remains indifferent to class, race, ethnicity or gender in its chaotic wake.
As a result, those with money, such as Taylor Swift and Beyonce, have pledged cash to various charities and organizations to try to help the average American affected pick themselves up. Now Japan’s biggest sports star joins them with his own half-a-million pledge.
“We are extremely grateful to the firefighters who continue to fight for us during the LA fires,” Ohtani said in a press release. “We will donate $500,000 to these firefighters, those who have been forced to evacuate, and animals in need of support.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers are also working with other sports teams to sell T-shirts and carry out other support activities. We hope you will consider this. We sincerely hope for a speedy recovery.”
Ohtani promotes LA Strong clothing line
Ohtani also promoted an LA Strong custom logo clothing range, of which proceeds will go towards those impacted by the fires. A total of 13 professional teams in Los Angeles are partaking, including the Dodgers, LA Angels, LA Lakers, LA Clippers and LA Chargers.
The teams from across the NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and WNBA have joined together to offer their support to those affected, along with members of the golf community also joining in through the TGL Golf League.
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