Blue Jays' Bassitt gives back to Toronto with big charitable donation for second-straight year
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt has delivered both on and off the field since inking a three-year, $63 million deal ahead of the 2023 season.
Last season, Bassitt and his wife, Jessica, partnered with the Jays Care Foundation on an initiative dubbed “Bassitts Pitch In,” which donated $10,000 each time the Jays won a game he pitched in. To no surprise, given how great of a community ambassador he has been, it has been announced that the initiative will continue this season.
“Join Chris and Jessica Bassitt to expand baseball programming for children and youth attending summer school across Toronto,” reads a statement from the Jays Care Foundation. “Your contribution will make a significant impact on the lives of kids in Jays Careās R.B.I. Summer Edition program.
“The Bassitt family has generously pledged to donate US$10,000 to Jays Care for each home game the Blue Jays win when Chris pitches this season. By donating today, your generosity will foster a love for baseball and provide valuable educational opportunities for more than 2,800 kids across Toronto this summer.”
The R.B.I. Summer Edition is a free sport-for-development program serving children in underserved communities across Toronto. Jays Care attended Spring Training last year, which allowed Bassitt to become familiar with the program. It was seemingly a no-brainer for the 35-year-old to get involved and help the cause.
“Jays Care came to Spring Training with us, and it tugged at my heartstrings a little bit with the kids,” Bassitt explained. “We wanted to be involved, and the more we looked into Jays Care, the more I thought, this foundation is unbelievable.”
Though he was roughed up in his first two starts of the 2024 season, Bassitt got back on track in a big way yesterday, giving up just one earned run over 6.2 innings while racking up eight strikeouts in a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.
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