Elvis Andrus Wins Jim Sundberg Community Award

Elvis Andrus has been named the 2014 winner of the Jim Sundberg Community Achievement Award. The award is given to a member of the Texas Rangers organization for significant contributions to the community and has been given annually since 1989.

Andrus donates funds to the Special Olympics Summer Games and has participated in a pre-game Special Olympics Torch Run at the ballpark the last two years. He hosted a Fall Festival for families of Safe Haven of Tarrant County in October and donated $5,000 to Safe Haven. He also gave $100 gift cards to each Safe Haven resident.

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  • The 26-year-old Venezuelan is heavily involved with the Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas. Andrus participates in the charity’s celebrity calendar fundraiser and has given $10,000 each of the last two years. He hosted Down Syndrome families in the “Elvis’ Entourage” section during Tuesday night home games, with each participant receiving an Elvis Andrus “big head.”

    In August, Andrus hosted the Venezuelan Senior RBI team that participated in the Major League Baseball RBI World Series in North Texas.

    Throughout 2014 Elvis Andrus donated $2,000 to the Baseball Tomorrow Fund Equipment drive, and $7,000 to Miracle League of Southlake. As well as making donations to the charitable foundations of Robinson Chirinos and Joakim Soria, and he made a $5,000 donation to the SW Little League in Arlington. On Wednesday night Andrus participated in An Evening with the Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington with proceeds benefitting the Texas Rangers Foundation.

    Elvis Andrus commented on receiving the award,

    That’s the coolest award that I’ve ever won,” Andrus said. “It’s special for me. Everything I do is without expecting something [in return]. It’s nice to give back to the community and to this city and this state that has been so great to me and my family. To be able to get this award is a blessing.” (via Todd Wills, MLB.com)

    Andrus gives more than money and his time to the community. He gives long-lasting memories to children and their families. He is more than deserving to win the Jim Sundberg Community Achievement Award.

    If you would like to see Andrus and the other 2014 team award winners at the 2015 Dr Pepper Texas Rangers Awards Dinner you can purchase tickets on the Texas Rangers website. The Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, January 23, 2015 at the Dallas Omni Hotel. Proceeds from the 2015 Dr Pepper Awards Dinner benefit the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.

    Other award winners to be honored will include Adrian Beltre, Player of the Year; Yu Darvish, Pitcher of the Year; Rougned Odor, Rookie of the Year; Matt Harrison, Harold McKinney Good Guy Award and Robinson Chirinos, Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man. Additional award winners will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

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