“We Are L.A. Strong!”

(East Los Angeles, CA)[From The Editor’s Desk]: The second official day of Summer 2025 marked the perfect occasion for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) to hold its 2nd Annual City Connect Showcase that took place in the City of Pasadena and featured the highly popular Dodger players, catcher, Will Smith and pitcher, Blake Snell.

The Saturday event essentially celebrated girls in sports and featured a first-time softball game for last year’s Nike RBI Regionals Deamteam players who competed against John Muir High School’s softball team. Add to these line-ups the appearance of Smith and Snell and the LADF motto of creating a “Lasting Impact For Los Angeles,” was defintiely in play, as it was also certainly present here in Pasadena during “Dodger Day,” for the deeply impacted Families of the Altadena/Eaton wildfire that occurred last January.

Please take a few minutes to read the complete LADF press announcement and view the accompanying photo gallery, which will provide you with a unique, in-depth look and a great explanation of this special day, resulting in many, many happy and smiling faces among all the youth, adults, contributors, event-sponsoring company representatives, the LADF Leaders/Staffers, and community members who participated in this outstanding event.

DODGERS’ WILL SMITH AND BLAKE SNELL JOINED LOS ANGELES DODGERS FOUNDATION TO HOST ‘CITY CONNECT SHOWCASE’ IN PASADENA PRESENTED BY FANATICS AND NIKE ON JUNE 21

The event celebrated girls in sports, paired with vital resources for Dodgers Dreamteam participants and families affected by the Eaton Fire

LOS ANGELES (June 21, 2025) – The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) spotlighted girls in sports through its second annual City Connect Showcase, presented by Fanatics and Nike, on Saturday, June 21, at John Muir High School in Pasadena. This year’s showcase featured a softball game for the first time, with last year’s Dodgers Dreamteam Nike RBI Regionals softball team facing off against the John Muir High School varsity softball team.

The spirit of Dodger Stadium made its way to Pasadena with the game featuring Dodgers public address announcer Todd Leitz, Dodgers Reporter and Host Kirsten Watson, and DJ Severe bringing the energy that fuels Dodger Stadium. Softball players wore the Los Angeles Dodgers City Connect jerseys, and Dodgers catcher Will Smith and Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell joined the dugouts as assistant coaches.

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[PHOTO GALLERY COURTESY]: Los Angeles Dodgers

Coinciding with the showcase was one of five scheduled Dodger Days during the 2025 Dodgers Dreamteam season, a community resource event for Dodgers Dreamteam players and their families. In response to the Eaton Fire, the Dodger Day offered health screenings, educational programs, and basic essentials to the Pasadena and Altadena communities. Youth representing local schools and Little Leagues, including John Muir High School, Pasadena High School, Central Altadena Little League, and West Pasadena Little League, participated in Dodger Day.

In addition to services and essentials provided at the Dodger Day, community members met Dodger alumni, connected with 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Jenny Topping of USA Softball, took pictures with the 2024 World Series trophy, received giveaway items from event sponsors, and participated in other engaging activities.

“This year’s showcase is more than a celebration of girls in sports — it’s a powerful reminder of how community, compassion, and opportunity come together in times of need,” said Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “We’re proud to support Pasadena and Altadena families recovering from the Eaton Fire while giving our girls a platform to shine, thanks to the generosity of Fanatics and Nike.”

“Supporting girls in sports, and in this case softball, means championing confidence, teamwork, and opportunity both on and off the field,” said Steve Eaves, vice president at Fanatics. “We’re honored to partner with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and Nike to celebrate these young athletes and help create meaningful moments for families in the surrounding community.”

Dodgers Dreamteam Community Ambassador sponsor Bank of America, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, presented two $10,000 checks to two local small businesses that were severely impacted during the Eaton Fire: The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop and Niecy’s Delights. The partnership is part of LADF and Bank of America’s ongoing fire relief efforts, which aim to support local recovery and strengthen small businesses impacted by the recent wildfires.

By combining Dodger fandom with vital community resources, LADF spotlighted the importance of supporting girls in sports through special programming, expanding equitable access to play, and raising awareness of the ongoing needs of fire-impacted Angelenos.

Free resources at the Dodger Day included food items provided by LA Regional Food Bank, Dodger Dogs from Papa Cantella’s, water from Dasani, screenings and performance challenges by UCLA Health, eye exams from Vision to Learn, hygiene kits and essentials from Baby2Baby, and more. Activities included baseball and softball instruction via the Dodgers Training Academy, coach recruitment opportunities from Positive Coaching Alliance, LADF’s Science of Baseball curriculum, and other activations from LA Public Works, Habitat for Humanity, and the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles.

Dodgers Dreamteam is a comprehensive sports-based youth development program that uses the power of sport to provide critical resources and services to communities experiencing social injustices. The program aims to provide an inclusive, barrier-free youth development program for underserved communities that otherwise may not participate, and train parents and coaches to create a social and emotional learning environment. All participants receive free uniforms and access to baseball and softball equipment.

For more information about Dodgers Dreamteam, including registering a child, please visit Dodgers.com/DodgersDreamteam.

[About the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation]:

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) tackles the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness, and social justice for all Angelenos. Reimagined in 2013, LADF has since raised over $204 million. Under its new strategic plan, “Lasting Impact for Los Angeles,” LADF is amplifying best practices, scaling solutions, growing its capacity and refining its work with investments exceeding $71 million in its programs and grants to local organizations. To date, LADF has positively impacted over 11 million youth. LADF is the proud recipient of ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, Robert Wood Johnson Sports Award, Beyond Sport’s Sport for Reduced Racial Inequalities Collective Impact Award, and the Aspen Institute Project Play Champion. To learn more, visit Dodgers.com/LADF and join the conversation on Instagram, X, and Facebook.