Salvy is the best!
Salvador Perez has been named the 2024 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given to a player with extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
Salvy is known for his big home runs, but he has also shown a big heart. According to the Royals, Salvy has distributed food and kitchen supplies to up to 2,000 homes in his native Venezuela and has set up a youth baseball league with well-maintained facilities and offers spikes, running shoes, jerseys, gloves, and financial support to participating kids.
Here in town, he has contributed $1 million to the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy, works with Sarah’s Soldiers to find a cure for ALS as well as Braden’s Hope for Childhood Cancer. He hosts Kansas City kids in the urban core for baseball clinics, sending them home with backpacks full of school supplies.
He has also paid for dozens of surgeries for kids with cleft lips, annually gives more than 1,000 toys to children’s hospitals, and supports police officers with car repairs, computers, office renovations, and more.
Perez is the first Royals player to ever win the honor, which he will receive at Yankee Stadium tonight before Game 3 of the World Series.
As @NickKappel points out, @SalvadorPerez15 is a Hall of Fame-level player who has now won character awards named after Roberto Clemente, Lou Gehrig and Stan Musial.
Absolute legend.
— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) October 28, 2024
In addition to his amazing charitable contributions, Salvador Perez has been a fan favorite for years with his infectious positive attitude. Earlier this year, he went viral for participating in a neighborhood wiffle ball game with local kids.
Amazing experience at our house today; Salvy joined in the neighborhood wiffle ball game! My son and I are the biggest Royals fans, this was truly unbelievable! #ForeverRoyal pic.twitter.com/HwlxCgjE8m
— Lesley Lard (@LibrarianLesL) August 23, 2024
Salvy continues to make Kansas City proud!