Pete Alonso Launches 'Homers for Heroes' to Aid COVID-19 Response

NEW YORK, NY – While the start of the Major League Baseball season remains delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis across the country, New York Mets first baseman and 2019 home run king Pete Alonso launched his first big hit of 2020 as he announced this week the start of his Homers for Heroes Foundation at www.homers4heroes.org with his fiancé Haley.

The non-profit is ‘raising money to support and thank the everyday heroes of this pandemic’ while honoring those who are making an impactful difference in the communities.

“From the early stages of this pandemic, Haley and I wanted to help everyone that was immensely impacted by COVID-19,” Alonso said in a statement on the foundation’s website. “We feel that we need to step up and help in any way possible.”

“As the world has shifted, we’ve been reminded of our most basic shared value — all of us depend on each other for a healthy community,” Alonso added. “As our lives have changed, we’ve been continually struck by the acts of kindness and humanity that we’ve seen emerge – from doctors working long hours to people taking care of their neighbors and many more stories.”

Earlier this month Alonso revealed the nuts and bolts of how the foundation will work in an interview with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. He suggested that the foundation will have big name corporate partners and that both Nike and Citi were already on board. Alonso also said that he is working with sponsors to pledge money for every team win or home run. And the reigning National League Rookie of the Year hit a lot of those last season – 53 of those to be exact.

“The beauty of this foundation is that there is no one thing we’re going to be focused on,” Alonso said in the interview with Rosenthal. “There are going to be so many different people in different worlds we’re going to be able to affect positively.”

According to Mets beat writer Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Alonso will be working with Regina Miller, who has advised a variety of non-profit foundations and corporations on strategy including the Los Angeles Dodgers three-time Cy Young Award winner on Kershaw’s Challenge.

The ambitious Alonso expressed his excitement towards the events and fundraisers that he is already planning for his non-profit. The baseball world got a glimpse of his charitable heart last year after he donated $100,000 of his Home Run Derby winnings to the non-profit organizations Tunnel to Towers and the Wounded Warrior Project.

“You never know what kind of impact you can have on a kid or a person,” he said.

Last month, Alonso sent a heartfelt video message to doctors and nurses at four Atlantic Healthy System hospitals in New Jersey as the COVID-19 contagion spiked in the state.

“I just want to say thank you so much for all the time and effort that you’re putting into this, and thank you on behalf of everybody, because you’re a part of a bigger picture trying to help prevent this disease,” a gracious Alonso said in the video. “Thank you for keeping everybody safe, and providing protection for everybody here on the front lines, working on the prevention of this thing.”

His selfless actions add to his charisma as a player and in the clubhouse. He even received a vote of confidence from the last Mets captain David Wright who was impressed with the leadership qualities of Alonso.

In a time where many Americans are desperately seeking hope, Alonso is delivering outside of the batter’s box. Time will tell if he can build on his great rookie season this year – whenever that will be. For now, we can appreciate the good that he is dedicating to society through his platform as an athlete.