Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Washington Nationals Philanthropies, the official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club, hosted its annual signature fundraising event Tuesday night, honoring former Mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony “Tony” Williams with its annual Power of Baseball Award. The Nationals Homecoming Gala, presented by KPMG, raised nearly $1 million to further Nationals Philanthropies’ community impact work. Held at held at The Anthem at The Wharf, the event was attended by members of the Lerner family, the Washington Nationals baseball club and front office, and representatives from several prominent local organizations and philanthropists.
The Power of Baseball Award, presented by The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation, is Washington Nationals Philanthropies’ most illustrious award, and recognizes an individual, corporation, organization or local group that embodies the positive character and level of achievement exemplified throughout the game of baseball.
“As we begin the 20th season of Washington Nationals baseball, it is my privilege to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Mayor Williams,” said Marla Lerner Tannenbaum, founding board chair of Washington Nationals Philanthropies and principal owner of Washington Nationals. “His vision for Washington, D.C., his exemplary leadership, and his unwavering belief in the power of baseball make him the undeniable choice for this year’s Award.”
Williams served as Mayor of Washington, D.C., from 1999 to 2007, and is widely credited with playing a major role in bringing professional baseball back to D.C. through his collaboration with Major League Baseball. As part of this work, the idea for the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy was born and written directly into the agreement that brought Nationals Park to Washington, D.C.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to our former Mayor, Anthony Williams, tonight’s Power of Baseball Award honoree, without whom the dream of Major League Baseball and the Academy in Washington might have remained just that — a dream,” said Tal Alter, CEO of Nationals Philanthropies.
The Youth Baseball Academy, operated by Nationals Philanthropies as its signature program, has since delivered 10 years of holistic youth development, academic enrichment, wellness education, and youth sports experiences to thousands of school-age children living east of the Anacostia River. Since beginning after school programs in the fall of 2013, five classes have matriculated from third through eighth grade in the BASE afterschool and summer program, going on to excel on and off the baseball field at some of the region’s most competitive high schools.
