Sammy Sosa sat in front of his locker before a recent game at Wrigley Field talking about his new sideline as a philanthropist. It all began when a real estate development project in his hometown in the Dominican Republic went down the tubes.
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Two years ago, while watching the Florida Marlins win the World Series on television at a friend’s condo in suburban Miami, Sosa met Mexican-American attorney Art Sandoval. He mentioned his troubles managing the building in San Pedro de Macoris. And at the ballplayers’ request, Sandoval visited the city; he saw there weren’t many businesses that could afford the $250 monthly rent. “There wasn’t a market for the plaza,” Sosa says.
Sandoval proposed a solution: start a philanthropic foundation. By that time Sosa was already giving away $500,000 a year to needy family and friends. “I’m a person who knows where I came from,” he says. “In my country, there’s a lot of crisis, little work. The situation is hard. I’ve been able to establish myself in the major leagues. I’ve had the ability to help people by giving away a lot of gifts.”
Checks for hurricane relief are still arriving at Wrigley Field, but these are being returned. “We insert a note explaining the purpose of the Sosa Foundation,” Cubs community relations director Rebecca Polihronis says. “Many people send the checks back.” Sosa routes his donations through the foundation too. “I used to give a lot of gifts to people, but now it all goes through the foundation.”
