RWJBH & Lakewood BlueClaws Donate Baseball Equipment

RWJBarnabas Health and the Lakewood BlueClaws teamed up to bring baseball back to the young athletes in Puerto Rico.

The Lakewood BlueClaws and RWJBarnabas Health held an equipment drive at First Energy Park and collected dozens of baseball bats, balls, gloves, helmets, baseball hats and clothing. The equipment drive was held over several weeks at the ballpark this season. The equipment was brought to the small town of Loiza and distributed to young players who had been playing with “imaginary balls” during a recent visit to the island by the RWJBarnabas Health Global Health team.

Global Health is one of the primary areas of focus of the RWJBarnabas Health Social Impact and Community Investment Practice, which is aimed at addressing the social, economic and environmental conditions that contribute to poor health outcomes, reduced life expectancy and higher costs. The Office of Global Health directs the system’s medical global affairs initiatives which includes international disaster response.

RWJBarnabas Health is a proud partner of the Lakewood BlueClaws. Through this corporate sponsorship, RWJBarnabas Health and the Lakewood BlueClaws routinely partner together on various initiatives to improve the health and well-being of New Jersey communities and beyond.

Photo caption (group):

Ernani Sandural, MD, Director of Global Health for RWJBarnabas Health and Margie Heller, System Administrator for Global Health, RWJBarnabas Health, are joined by the little league players and volunteer coaches as they deliver baseball equipment to Loiza, a small community in Puerto Rico devastated by Hurricane Maria. The equipment was donated through an equipment drive held by the Lakewood BlueClaws and RWJBarnabas Health.