SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres and the Padres Foundation announced Friday that they have made a $25,000 donation to UNICEF.
The Padres are joining the efforts of Major League Baseball and its clubs in the continued support of children and families in Haiti following the devastating earthquake.
The Padres also announced that the Padres' Dominican Republic baseball facility staff is collecting bottled water, canned food and medicine, sending it to Haiti through one of its trusted partners.
"Our thoughts and prayers here at the San Diego Padres go out to the people of Haiti and all who were affected by the recent earthquake," said Padres vice chairman and CEO Jeff Moorad in a statement.
"A catastrophe of this scale reminds us of how fortunate we are and the Padres and Major League Baseball are committed to giving back," said Moorad.
Moorad, team president and COO Tom Garfinkel, general manager Jed Hoyer, assistant general manager Fred Uhlman Jr. and several other members of the Padres' front office toured the Dominican Republic facility this week.
Commissioner Bud Selig announced last week that Major League Baseball has pledged an immediate donation of $1 million to support the cause.
Donations are being coordinated through UNICEF, which is aiding victims by providing necessary supplies to assist with recovery efforts, including clean water and sanitation, medical supplies and temporary shelter.
The contribution, an extension of MLB's "Going Beyond" efforts, is being made on behalf of Major League Baseball, its 30 clubs, MLB Network and MLB.com. MLB is encouraging concerned citizens to visit the UNICEF Web site and make a donation as well.
A $10 donation can also be made by text message, by sending the word UNICEF to 20222.
