Royals catcher Salvador Perez wins MLB's Clemente Award for philanthropy

NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez has been chosen the winner of Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award for character, community involvement and philanthropy.

The award was to be presented to the nine-time All-Star and 2015 World Series MVP before Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

Perez and his family distribute bags of food and kitchen supplies to 2,000 homes each winter in the neediest parts of his hometown of Valencia, Venezuela, directly impacting more than 10,000 families over the past decade. He has a youth baseball league there, providing equipment for the kids and financial support for their families.

The 34-year-old Perez has paid for dozens of surgeries for kids with cleft lips, he's given more than 1,000 toys to children’s hospitals and has supported police officers. He regularly travels to Colombia to assist the Carlos Fortuna Foundation in helping adults be the best parents they can be, and he crossed the border on foot to get there when strict travel guidelines were in place during the COVID-19 shutdown.