The Marlins have spent the past several days turning a homestand into a relief effort for people affected by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela.
It started in late June, when the club announced a $100,000 donation to Global Empowerment Mission to support emergency response and recovery work. That effort picked up again on July 7, when World Baseball Classic hero Javier Sanoja, All-Star Otto Lopez and manager Clayton McCullough helped deliver the first batch of donated supplies to GEM. Corporate partners loanDepot, Kellanova, neaū water and Goya also chipped in and took part, helping provide urgently needed items.
The team kept the drive going during the July 7-9 series against the Mariners at loanDepot park. Fans were able to drop off requested relief supplies at collection bins outside the Home Plate Entrance.
Anyone who donated could buy a specially priced $5 ticket at Marlins.com/WeLoveVenezuela, and the Marlins added another $5 per qualifying ticket to the We Love Venezuela Foundation. Money from the club’s 50/50 raffle across all three games also went to the foundation.
Saturday brought the Marlins’ annual Venezuela Heritage Celebration, with part of the proceeds from every special Venezuela jersey ticket package and the 50/50 raffle directed to Venezuelan relief efforts. The event had support from presenting partner Santa Teresa 1796, the Venezuelan rum brand.
Before the game, the Marlins held a Heritage Walk around the warning track and recognized members of Urban Search and Rescue Teams Florida Task Force I and Florida Task Force II. The latter includes first responders from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the City of Miami Fire Rescue.
Those crews were sent to the hardest-hit communities to carry out life-saving work, alongside other U.S. rescue teams, to find survivors, deliver advanced medical care and assess damaged structures. The club also honored the first responders during its Marlins Impact moment in the fourth inning.
After the game, the night shifted into a relief concert featuring Ronald Borjas, Luis Fernando Borjas, Víctor Muñoz, Motiff and Los Pikis. The Marlins also presented another $40,000 check to We Love.
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