(East Los Angeles, CA) September 30, 2021 [From The Editor’s Desk]: Yes, they’ve done it again!! This occasion marks the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation being named the winner of the 2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Sports Award. The announcement was made during a private “Virtual” ceremony.

Nicol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, shared her remarks about winning the Award…“The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is absolutely thrilled to have received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Sports Award for our critical work to remove barriers to health equity through sports. Through an approach that focuses on the comprehensive needs of young people, we aggressively tackle the most pressing challenges that Angelenos face by providing access and opportunity for those who need support the most.”

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award honors the innovative and collaborative efforts of individuals, organizations, and teams that are making their communities healthier through sport. L.A. Dodgers Foundation (LADF) and co-honorees, The Dance Institute of Washington, Make the World Better, Move United, and YEAH! YOGA will each receive a $25,000 cash prize. The prize will help LADF build a Culture of Health, and continue its partnerships with organizations like Up2Us Sports, Positive Coaching Alliance, We Coach, and RISE to include more racial and gender equity training for Dodgers RBI participants.

“I am amazed by the work of this year’s winners and their commitment to using sport as a vehicle to achieve health equity,” said Allyn Brooks-LaSure, RWJF’s vice president of Communications. “We know that removing barriers to safe play is essential to building a Culture of Health, and our winners provide wonderful examples of that.”

Since 2015, this award has recognized professional sports teams, athletes, coaches, and community-based organizations that use sports to catalyze and sustain changes to make communities healthier places to live, learn, work, and play. RWJF lifts up organizations that bring a deep understanding of community needs and acknowledge the power of sports to connect us and make us healthier, no matter our race, gender, abilities, or economic background.

For more information on the award, and past winners, visit www.rwjf.org/sportsaward.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to improving health and health equity in the United States. In partnership with others, we are working to develop a Culture of Health rooted in equity that provides every individual with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have.

For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.