When Astros ace Justin Verlander pitched in $1,000,000 for veterans' emotional well-being initiative in Detroit, Richmond, and Norfolk
Justin Verlander had started to showcase his prowess at the mound since he started playing for the Old Dominion Monarchs at the collegiate level. He went on to become the strikeout king for the Monarchs and was soon drafted by the Detroit Tigers as a second overall pick in the 2004 MLB draft.
Apart from fame and success in the sporting world, he was quite active in philanthropy and donated to charities working for a good cause. One such incident took place in 2013.
While still with the Tigers, star pitcher Justin Verlander had committed $1 million to the Detroit Tigers Foundation to start an effort that would help the mental and emotional health of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars living in Richmond, Norfolk, and Detroit.
The Wins for Warriors programme was devised to assist effective initiatives that would, in return, aid returning veterans facing serious mental health issues on their road to rehabilitation.
The money donated by Justin Verlander was equally divided between two initiatives, "Give an Hour" and "The Mission Continues."
Detroit Tigers then CEO, general manager, and president David Dombrowski voiced his admiration for the righty ace for aiding in a good social cause and helping the war veterans in the three places aforementioned.
"The Detroit Tigers organization commends Justin for the launch of his Wins for Warriors program and his overall dedication to veterans and their families in Detroit, Norfolk, and Richmond.
"Justin's new initiative is another example of his commitment to helping those veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country." - Dave Dombrowski on Verlander
The Give an Hour initiative, which requests that mental health professionals across the country volunteer one hour of their time per week to offer mental health services to military personnel and their families,
He used the funds to employ two staff members in Detroit and the Richmond/Norfolk area to oversee services and offer supplementary mental health support and care to veterans residing in those areas.
With the money raised, The Mission Continues, an organisation that gives post-9/11 veterans community service fellowships that enable them to change their lives and have a direct impact on their communities, established three new fellowships, one for each of the three communities.
Justin Verlander and his wife Kate Upton helped the needy during the pandemic.
MLB player Justin Verlander and his spouse Kate Upton donated Verlander's weekly income to charitable organisations in order to aid the underprivileged during COVID-19.
The pair shared their concerns for those in need during the pandemic on Instagram in April 2020 and announced their decision to give Justin Verlander's MLB salary checks to various organisations every week.
Further, the duo gave a shout-out to all those privileged people who had enough for them and their families to survive the pandemic to come out and aid the needy during those trying times.