Tom Yawkey had a genuine love for the game of baseball and derived great joy from participating in batting practices and sitting alongside fans in the bleachers during his ownership of the Boston Red Sox. Baseball had played an important role in Tom’s life since he was young, and his appreciation for team sports—especially baseball and softball—was due in large part to how they instilled respect, teamwork, and a sense of community in players. Recognizing the role of team sports in improving society, Tom and Jean Yawkey committed themselves to supporting quality youth athletics programs so that all young people could play and enjoy the game. In keeping with their spirit, Yawkey Foundation announced $970,000 in Program & Small Capital grant funding to 19 Youth & Amateur Athletics nonprofit organizations in Greater Boston for 2023. The Foundation also awarded $90,000 in grants to nine baseball- and softball-focused nonprofit programs in 2023 in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of Tom Yawkey’s purchasing of the Boston Red Sox in 1933. To date, Yawkey Foundation has provided more than $95 million in philanthropic support for Youth & Amateur Athletics since 1977 and is dedicated to perpetuating the philanthropic legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey.