December 17, 2020
Tonight, the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy distributed holiday gifts to its Scholar Athletes and their families. An annual tradition, the event was adapted this year from a holiday party to a drive-through format to ensure the health and safety of all participants. The local office of law firm Mintz has donated nearly $20,000 in holiday gifts each year since 2014 – with Mintz staff members purchasing gifts for each Scholar Athlete based on their wish list. In previous years, a Nationals executive has been in attendance to assist with gift distribution. For this year’s event, General Manager and President of Baseball Operations, Mike Rizzo, and his wife Jodi helped greet Scholar Athletes and hand out gifts in the Academy parking lot. Nationals corporate partner, Papa John’s, also provided free pizzas for all families. The Nationals Youth Baseball Academy uses baseball and softball as vehicles to foster positive character development, academic achievement, and improved health among youth living in underserved communities. Since March, Academy staff has continued to adapt its regular programs to provide uninterrupted service and support for program participants and residents neighboring the facility in Ward 7.
