David Ortiz

David Ortiz pointing to his teammates (http://ladiesdotdotdot.files.wordpress.com)

My hero is David Ortiz. I chose him because he is one of my favorite baseball players and he donates his own possessions to earn money for charities. David grew up in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in a family where he was the oldest of four children. As he grew up, David fell in love with baseball just like his dad. Now he is one of the best first basemen in all of baseball.

David was a star player in high school and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners after high school. He played for the Minnesota Twins for five years and now has been playing for the Red Sox since 2003. In 2004 and in 2007 the Boston Red Sox won the World Series and David got two rings for winning. He is considered to be one of the best hitters in baseball so he has been raising money for charities.

He is making a lot of money now so David Ortiz has started an annual golf tournament in the Dominican Republic to raise money for the David Ortiz Children’s Fund. The money earned in the four days of the golf tournament goes to children who are sick in the Dominican Republic and in America. The money is mostly used for kids who can’t afford heart surgery.

Also, David’s jersey sold for 175,000 dollars which all went to the Jimmy Fund. David and his wife auctioned off their bed to help raise money for the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. In the 2008 season, every time David Ortiz hit a home run, Vitamin Water donated $300 to the David Ortiz Children’s Fund. Even though David is really not donating the money, now he knows every time he hits a home run he is really helping children in need.

David Ortiz is a great baseball player and a great man for donating money and starting his own charities to help many children in need. David Ortiz is my hero for donating money to charities and for being a great baseball player.