This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry¡¯s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

DALLAS -- Families of the Texas Rangers Youth Academy players milled about in the parking lot of the Mercy Street Sports Complex on Friday afternoon after it was transformed into a Thanksgiving shopping center, courtesy of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.

Right-hander Jon Gray, catcher Jonah Heim and outfielder Leody Taveras, along with their significant others, passed out turkeys, pies and other traditional Thanksgiving foods and sides to more than 250 families in need at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy.

The Rangers and the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation partnered with nonprofit Buckner International and Kroger to host the seventh annual turkey and Thanksgiving dinner distribution event.

All three Rangers who were present at the Youth Academy for the Thanksgiving event are spending the offseason in Texas. They noted how great it felt to connect with the Dallas-Fort Worth community. Gray and Heim have attended the annual event throughout their time with the club.

¡°I think it's super, super special for this community in general,¡± Heim said. ¡°We wouldn't be here without the fans. So being able to give back to them and support this community is all you can really ask for. It definitely gives you a new perspective on life. We're super blessed to be in the situation we are in.

¡°Any way we can give back, we're always looking to do so. I know my wife's out here tonight with me. We love the opportunity to come and give back. It's nice, too, for our kids to see it and for them to be able to see what we can be able to do as a family and give back to this community.¡±

In addition to joining his teammates at the Youth Academy, Gray and his wife, Jacklyn, visited the Adaptive Training Foundation in Carrollton, Texas, on Friday morning.

Adaptive Training is a non-profit program that offers adaptive performance training free of charge to disabled veterans and those with life-altering injuries. Prior to the 2024 season, Gray pledged to donate $500 to the foundation each time he recorded a win during the regular season. During his visit on Friday, the Grays presented a check for $2,500 to the staff and athletes.

The Adaptive Training Foundation was also among the 2024 All-Star Legacy initiatives, which helped fund a mobile training lab that will expand its programming beyond North Texas.

Gray, who was the Rangers¡¯ 2023 Roberto Clemente Award nominee, has been involved in numerous charitable initiatives throughout his three seasons with the club. He especially has been devoted to assisting veterans in the Metroplex.

In 2023, Gray was recognized with the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award. The honor is awarded annually to ¡°individuals who possess the values, integrity, and dedication to serving our country that former Hall of Fame pitcher and US Navy veteran Bob Feller himself displayed.¡±

Said Gray: ¡°People who serve, it takes a different and special kind of heart. They're not doing it for the pay or anything. It's literally a sacrifice. It takes a different kind of love, and I think that we just don't reciprocate that love very well. So I'd like to see how united we are to support them.¡±