Tucker's altruism runs deep with family roots
Brian McTaggart
@brianmctaggartHOUSTON -- Since Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker started his foundation in 2022, the main mission has been to bring awareness and help support nonprofit hospice care centers in their quest to bring more affordable and compassionate care to those who need it.
The Kyle Tucker Foundation champions hospice care more than any other cause, while also raising money for the Astros Foundation and Sunshine Kids, which assists children battling cancer and their families. Tucker is the Astros¡¯ 2024 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
¡°It¡¯s pretty cool to just be honored with an award for something outside of your stats and your play on the field, something bigger than baseball,¡± Tucker said.
Tucker¡¯s dedication to hospice causes stems from his grandfather, Dwayne, passing away under hospice care just days before the 2021 World Series. The Kyle Tucker Foundation -- which Tucker¡¯s wife, Samantha, helps to run -- aims to acknowledge the work of hospice workers by donating to hospice facilities in Houston and his hometown of Tampa, Fla.
¡°We were thinking of ways we could help in the community outside of doing stuff with the Astros Foundation,¡± Kyle Tucker said. ¡°We kind of got into the charity world through my grandfather passing. That¡¯s kind of how this started.¡±
Twice a month, a staff member from Houston Hospice is selected as a Kyle Tucker Foundation Hospice Hero. Those individuals receive social media recognition, they get to participate in the annual Kyle Tucker Foundation Suite Day at the ballpark, and they receive gifts such as certificates, experiences, merchandise and more from local Houston businesses.
Meanwhile, Tucker hosts a Hospice Day at the ballpark for 100 hospice workers and their families. He also hosts Houston Hospice staff and Texas Children¡¯s Hospital staff for Suite Days at the Park.
The Kyle Tucker Foundation holds an annual Topgolf fundraising event in Tampa, and it hosts meet and greets at hospice centers in Florida.
¡°Not very many people within sports kind of do stuff with hospice, so it¡¯s kind of cool to just be a part of that and show our support and raise awareness of what the people that work there do and show support of the people that have to go through it,¡± Tucker said. ¡°Honestly, unless you have a family member or someone you know in hospice, you really don¡¯t know what it is."
Tucker¡¯s dedication and support for his community goes beyond the work in his foundation. He has done a lot of work in the Houston community supporting children battling life-threatening illnesses. He has worked with the nonprofit Dec My Room, decorating hospital rooms and meeting pediatric patients at Texas Children¡¯s Hospital. Tucker also hosts children battling cancer and their families from the Sunshine Kids at games and spends time with them on the field during batting practice.
In July 2024, Tucker also teamed up with MDMotivator to surprise a Houston family battling cancer. Tucker surprised them with a trip to the All-Star Game and a check for $50,000.
The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be honored at the 2024 World Series following selection by a panel that includes representatives from the Commissioner¡¯s Office, Capital One, MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS), MLB.com, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as Roberto¡¯s children, Enrique, Luis and Roberto Clemente Jr.