Salvador Perez Wins 2024 Roberto Clemente Award for Humanitarian Efforts

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez has been honored with the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award, a prestigious recognition given annually to the MLB player whose humanitarian efforts exemplify off-the-field service. Perez, the first Royals player to receive this award, was lauded for his extensive charitable work both in his adopted hometown of Kansas City and in his native Venezuela, as well as in Colombia.

Perez’s humanitarian efforts are deeply personal and widespread. In Venezuela, he and his mother, Yilda Diaz, distribute food and kitchen supplies to nearly 2,000 houses every year, providing aid to more than 10,000 families. He also owns a youth league that offers free baseball gear and clinics, promoting education and safety for 220 children. His contributions extend to Colombia through the Carlos Fortuna Foundation, which honors a minor league pitcher who died of cancer and focuses on parental education in low-income Latin American countries.

In Kansas City, Perez is known for his community involvement, including a $1 million donation to the Urban Youth Academy, work with local ALS and childhood cancer organizations, and donations to local police. His charitable actions are inspired by the legacy of Roberto Clemente, the Hall of Fame outfielder who died in a plane crash while attempting to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua in 1972. Perez has expressed his admiration for Clemente, stating that he was “an amazing player, but he was even better outside the field”.

Perez, a nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner, was the MVP of the 2015 World Series. He continues to be a significant figure in baseball, both on and off the field, and his award is seen as a testament to his commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of others.