LA Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Announces Donation to Firefighters & More Amid Los Angeles Fires

Shohei Ohtani has announced a monetary contribution to those on the frontlines amid the Los Angeles fires.

The 30-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher took to his Instagram late Thursday night (February 16), revealing he has personally made a donation to firefighters and those in need.

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“Our hearts go out to all the firefighters who continue to fight for us during the fires in LA,” he wrote on his account. “We’ll be donating $500,000 to help those firefighters and those forced to live in shelter to help animals in need.”

He added, “The Los Angeles Dodgers are also working together with teams from other competitions to help sell T-shirts and more. I hope you all will consider this. I hope you recover soon.”

Last year, Shohei purchased a home that was near the Eaton fire, and his city was among those with evacuation orders.

The LA sports teams previously announced a combined donation of $8 million.

On Friday (January 17), Dodger Stadium, SoFi Stadium and BMO Stadium will be hosting donation events to benefit victims of the wildfires.

12 LA professional sports organizations, in partnership with their own foundations, teamed up with Fanatics and the Fanatics Foundation to distribute $3 million worth of Fanatics merch to Angelenos who had to be evacuated. The teams are also distributing essentials like apparel, personal hygiene kits, school supplies and sneakers.

Residents will need to provide proof of residency in evacuated zip codes in order to attend.

In more uplifting news, just before the new year Shohei announced that his wife Mamiko is pregnant with their first child!