FORT WAYNE – Minor League Baseball teams collectively reported nearly $50 million in cash and in-kind donations to their communities in 2019, according to a report released this week. That’s the highest donation total in Minor League Baseball Charities history.

Minor League Baseball and its 160 teams also nearly doubled their volunteer efforts from 2018, giving more than 26,000 hours of service in communities.

The TinCaps, who were awarded Minor League Baseball’s John H. Moss Community Service Award in 2015 for the organization’s ongoing commitment to charitable service, were among the largest benefactors. The team contributed $869,966 to the Fort Wayne area community in 2019. Last year the TinCaps were also nominated by the Midwest League for Minor League Baseball’s Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award for the team’s outstanding support of the United States Armed Forces and veterans.

TinCaps President Mike Nutter is one of eight people who serve on the Minor League Baseball Charities Committee.

“This shows that our work in Fort Wayne is part of a much larger effort to give back to communities across the country,” Nutter said.

The TinCaps serve their community in a myriad of ways, such as community programs and promotions, in-ballpark fundraising, monetary donations, gifts in-kind, and individual involvement.

One new initiative the TinCaps took in 2019 was hosting a clinic for members of the local Little League Challenger Division, which is an adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. Meanwhile, the team continued their tradition of service in ways like hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive at Parkview Field, bell-ringing for the Salvation Army, hosting kids from Big Brothers Big Sisters at games, and auctioning off game-worn jerseys with proceeds donated to non-profit organizations—not to mention, the TinCaps Reading Program reached more than 112,000 children at 264 schools and 87 libraries in the region.

Click here to see Minor League Baseball’s 2019 Community Report and here to learn more about how the TinCaps are committed to the local community.