Vernon Wells receives the Rickey Award for community service
The Major League Baseball season is off and teams across the National League and the American League are relieving their players for rest and personal time before spring training comes in mid February. The San Francisco Giants clinched the World Series title
to end the 2010 season and with that conclusion, came the time to exercise player rights and contractual options. However, that time has also passed and now General Managers from every ball club are working towards restructuring the rosters and reorganizing
them in the image that best suits the club’s mentality.
While the clubs are engulfed in off field activities, players are either venturing into Winter Ball leagues or they are simply enjoying the holidays. For Vernon Wells however, the experience has been different. Born in Arlington Texas, the Toronto Blue Jays
player has been actively participating in community service programs, alongside his wife, Catherine. The two personalities have been working around the clock to support single mothers and children around the Texas area.
Vernon explains the reason behind his indulgence in the service he’s rendering to various people in need with: "Three years ago, we went shopping for some underprivileged kids in Arlington, Texas, and the neglect that we saw physically in these kids, in
what they were wearing, it seemed they hadn't bathed in days and their clothes hadn't been washed in weeks. That stuck with us. It hit us hard. That's when we finally decided to go out and start this foundation, and have some control over where our money goes
and who it goes to."
His foundation, the Well’s Perfect 10 Foundation has just acquired a number of houses around the Denton area in Texas and they will be used to provide a roof over needy mothers and children who are going through various troubles in life. For this reason
the Denver Rotary Club Foundation recently awarded Wells with a 2010 Branch Rikey award for his work in the community. The Jays man donated $1 million to charity when he signed on with the club.
Vernon went on to say, "There have been good days. There have been sad days with, unfortunately, some of the things you see on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, a lot of these kids don't know any better. They see what they're stuck in, and that's why that
cycle continues to go."
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