IN OUR COMMUNITY - Los Angeles Dodgers

DoDgers Caravan
(Left): Matt Kemp answers questions from the Taft High School softball team. (Right): Legendary Dodger
pitcher Fernando Valenzuela signs for this officer at West Valley Community Police Station.
(Above): Students
from Thomas
Starr King Middle
School, who take
part in LACER,
took in the visit
from the Dodgers.
(Left): Dodger
legend Don
Newcombe gives
a history lesson
to Taft High
School softball
players.
16 community report
For the past eight seasons, Dodger
players, coaches, legends and other members
of the Dodger family have shown the
city of Los angeles just how dedicated they
are to helping the community with the annual
Dodgers Caravan, which kicked off
on Feb. 14 and concluded with a significant
finale the next day — the dedication of the
10th Dodgers Dreamfield.
“By seeing our players and manager out
here, it’s indicative that they’re doing something
for the community,” Dodger hall of
Fame manager tommy Lasorda said. “our
owner, Frank McCourt, he’s always been a
community-minded man. I remember the
first time he came here, his first speech was,
‘Let’s get involved with the community.”
The first day featured Lasorda, Dodger
manager Don Mattingly, Dodger players
andre ethier and James Loney, Dodger
General Manager Ned Colletti, and former
Dodgers Bobby Castillo, tommy Davis,
Kenny Landreaux, rudy Law and Dodger
broadcaster steve Lyons all getting involved
in helping the community.
The group cleaned up the Los angeles
river, paid a visit to UsC University hospital
— thanking public health workers for their
dedication to health care and research — and
visited students at Thomas starr King Middle
school as part of a partnership with LaCer
(Literacy, arts, Culture, education and recreation),
a longstanding Dodger community
partner, which provides after-school activi-