New York Mets 1B Pete Alonso started a charity foundation alongside his fiancée Haley Walsh which the couple debuted on Wednesday. The foundation, named “Homers for Heroes” will raise money “to support and thank the everyday heroes of this [COVID-19] pandemic and also those who continue to take care of each other.”
Alonso and Walsh’s foundation will have a broad focus on everyday heroes, looking to help as many people as possible rather than any singular group.
“Basically, it was like, ‘Well, why do we need to focus on one specific thing?’” said Alonso per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “And the answer to that was, ‘We don’t.’ We just want to help as many people as possible. … We want to be fluid with the world around us.”
Alonso is no stranger to charitable causes. He promised to donate 10 percent of his 2019 Home Run Derby winnings to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.
After seeing how his contributions to the organizations had impacted its recipients, he knew he wanted to do more.
Alonso started working on the paperwork for his foundation in January and has been working with Regina Miller, an executive for Clayton Kershaw’s Kershaw’s Challenge foundation.
Now with his foundation launched, Alonso has yet again used his platform to help others.
“I’m blessed with what I have,” Alonso said per DiComo. “I’m blessed to be a New York Met. I’m blessed to be a professional baseball player, and I want to make the most of my opportunity and use my platform and my likeness for good.”
