Phillies support their spring home with $1 million donation
Todd Zolecki
@ToddZoleckiThe Phillies have called Clearwater, Fla., their home away from home since 1947.
They have played at BayCare Ballpark since 2004.
A trip to Clearwater and BayCare should be on every Phillies fan¡¯s bucket list. Nothing beats a stroll along the beach in the morning, watching a Grapefruit League game in the afternoon, and enjoying a grouper sandwich and beer (or two) in the evening as the sun sets on the Gulf of Mexico.
Clearwater is a memory-maker, but it is also vitally important to the Phillies. It is no surprise, then, that the team recently donated $1 million to AMPLIFY Clearwater to support the recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
¡°It¡¯s our second home,¡± Phillies managing partner John Middleton said recently. ¡°It¡¯s been our Spring Training home for 78 years. It¡¯s very, very important to us. Businesses should feel they have a commitment to their communities, whether it¡¯s the Major League team in Philadelphia, the Florida club, but also the affiliates we have in Reading, Lehigh Valley and Lakewood. You need to be part of the community. You can¡¯t just plop yourself down there and work there and not set roots there. People work there, they have homes there, they raise their kids there and they go to school there.
¡°You build commitments and relationships, and good relationships are two-way streets. If you¡¯ve got a friend who¡¯s hurt, who¡¯s in trouble, you try to help them.¡±
The AMPLIFY Hope campaign launched to support businesses and residents facing extensive damage from the storms, many of which are working through structural repairs and inventory losses.
Since its launch, AMPLIFY Clearwater has received more than 50 applications from those seeking assistance. The Phillies¡¯ commitment doubled previous contributions, boosting the impact to local businesses and residents, according to AMPLIFY.
¡°[My wife], Leigh, and I have a home in Clearwater, so we have an additional connection than just the Phillies¡¯ organizational commitment,¡± Middleton said. ¡°For us, we have the personal and business side of it. So we reached out to them. We talked about it internally. It was something that all of us wanted to do. But what is ¡®something¡¯? I said, ¡®Let¡¯s do something significant, something really meaningful.¡¯¡±
The Phillies spoke to Clearwater mayor Bruce Rector and others shortly after the second hurricane hit. Rector and others suggested AMPLIFY because 100 percent of the money goes to businesses and residents in need.
"The Philadelphia Phillies have stepped forward as champions for our community in this time of need,¡± Rector said in a statement.
¡°Their commitment to our community shows the profound connection and dedication they have to Clearwater and its people,¡± AMPLIFY Clearwater president and CEO Amanda Payne said in a statement.
Clearwater is working its way back. Some businesses along the beach have reopened, although others have not. It will take time to fully recover. But Phillies fans should see remarkable progress by the time the team plays its Grapefruit League home opener on Feb. 23 against the Orioles.
¡°I was down there recently,¡± Middleton said. ¡°Hotels are open, restaurants are open, the beaches look great. Honest to God, if you stood on the beach, you wouldn¡¯t know there was ever a problem. They¡¯ve worked really hard.¡±
Asked what immediately comes to mind when he thinks of Clearwater, Middleton said, ¡°I think about that beautiful ballpark and the field, walking around, and how nice and relaxed it is. It¡¯s the calm before the six-month storm. It¡¯s great. That is the Field of Dreams. Down there, everybody is undefeated, everybody is going to have a career year. It¡¯s a really beautiful place.¡±
For more information on how to donate, click here.