PINELLAS PARK, Fla. -- On Monday morning, Brett Phillips’ mom did something she had done more than 20 years ago -- drop her son off at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay's Pinellas Park Club.
This time, the former Rays outfielder wasn’t there as a camper, but as an ambassador for the Major League club that plays down the road and will host Game 3 of the World Series Monday night.
Phillips, along with 10 former MLB stars and Hall of Famers, was there as part of the World Series Legacy Project. MLB and the Rays partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay, contributing $50,000 to support local youth and provide educational resources that promote academic success.
Phillips, who said his mother reminded him that he attended summer camp at the very same club having grown up in Seminole, called it a full-circle moment.
“When I showed up, all of the memories came flooding back,” said Phillips, who now serves as a brand engagement executive for the Rays. “My mom works 15 minutes from here, and I’m five minutes away, so she dropped me off on her way to work and here we are giving $50,000 away on behalf of the Rays and MLB to continue to pour into this place and the next generation of kids who will go on to do great things, so it’s awesome.”
The initiative will benefit youth at six Boys & Girls Club locations in the Tampa Bay community.
Taking the perspective of a child who once was a Boys & Girls Club member, Phillips said an organization such as MLB coming in and providing resources is nothing but beneficial.
“It opens your eyes to the good -- that people care about you,” he said. “Regardless of your circumstances back at home, when you come to a Boys & Girls Club, you feel that people care for you, and that’s a big deal.”
April Brown, who is MLB’s senior vice president of social responsibility, said that while the league strives to present an exciting product on the field, giving back off the diamond is paramount to building communities in cities around the country. This year marks the 30th year MLB has held a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs nationally.
“We’re committed to using the power of our sport to make meaningful and lasting change off the field,” Brown said. “Whether it's in local organizations like today, or expanding opportunities for young people, or bringing people together to volunteer and give back, our goal is to leave every community a little bit stronger than when we found it. As we celebrate our Fall Classic, we make that commitment to make a tangible difference in our hosts’ communities."
Brown added that seeing the young girls and boys that were in attendance Monday and will benefit from the project makes “all the difference.”
Freddy Williams, the president & CEO for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay, said the funding “means the world” on multiple fronts.
“The fact that we have such a wonderful brand like Major League Baseball who believes in Boys & Girls Clubs means so much to us,” Williams said. “It also shows that we can provide hope and opportunity for so many young people where they now have access to a club [where] these funds are provided.”
Williams said the $50,000 will be used to help provide academic intervention to ensure thousands of kids are reading at grade level and progressing, eventually graduating from high school with a plan for the future.
“We’re making sure they have academic success, good character and leadership, healthy lifestyles – and we have a new element we’re focusing on, which is life and workforce readiness,” Williams said.
Former big leaguers who helped pass out education packs to children included Michael Bourn, Prince Fielder, Félix Hernández, Aaron Hicks, Scott Kazmir, Jed Lowrie, Jimmy Rollins, CC Sabathia, Gary Sheffield and newly minted 2026 Roberto Clemente Award winner Francisco Lindor.
Lindor has a long history with Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, highlighted by stories from Rays CEO Ken Babby and Williams.
Babby said when Lindor was just 18 years old and joined Double-A Akron, which Babby owned at the time, the Puerto Rico native asked unprompted what he could do to help the community, which resulted in time spent at a club in the area.
“This is a very special day,” Lindor said of being at the Boys & Girls Club on the morning of his award presentation. “It’s surreal [to hear the stories]. [What it says is to] be who you are. Don’t change. You don’t know who you’re going to impact or the conversations you have that might stay in somebody’s mind. It’s just how I live life and how my parents taught me to be.”