On Thursday, August 20, the Los Angeles Dodgers had a rare off-day, a brief pause in the baseball season.
Instead of resting, the team’s newest star, Kyle Tucker, hosted the inaugural charity event for his foundation in his new city.
Tucker and the Dodgers had just swept the Colorado Rockies, and the offense was starting to tick again.
The Dodgers then had a three-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving the players a chance to get back home and unwind.
Rather than take it easy, Kyle and his wife, Samantha, orchestrated a bustling evening in Los Angeles, an auction with purpose: to raise money for their foundation.
The Kyle Tucker Foundation focuses on helping people in hospice care, whether patients or the workers who care for them.
Hospice care is for people who have six months or less to live, helping them deal with terminal illnesses. Support includes medical treatment and emotional care, provided at a person’s home or at a facility.
It works alongside other medical care and treatment, supporting patients and their families equally.
Tucker experienced what hospice care truly offers after his grandfather, Dwayne, passed during the 2021 MLB Postseason, when Kyle was with the Houston Astros.
The following year, in 2022, Kyle launched the foundation in his home state of Florida. Beyond Tampa Bay, the charity expanded to Houston and Chicago, where Tucker played in 2025, and now it offers services in Los Angeles.
“We started our foundation back in the beginning of ‘22. My grandfather passed away under hospice care, and after having gone through that experience with me and my family, it just felt like there was a little bit of a calling for us to try and give back to them and the work that they do for other patients and other families and the programs that they put on,” Tucker told Dodgers Nation in an exclusive interview.
In 2025, the outfielder was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award for his work through his foundation. That commitment includes supporting communities that backed him throughout his playing career, and he sets up a base in every city that has cheered him on as a baseball player.
Now, Los Angeles will get the Tuckers’ best efforts to give back to the community and support hospice workers.
“We definitely try and do as much as we can, as much as possible,” Tucker said.
“Can’t be everywhere at once, but we definitely want to give back and show our support to the community and all the fan base. They’re a big reason why we play and why we do what we do.
“We just want to try and give back in any way we can. Just do it little by little.”
Tucker and his wife curated a lineup of unique experiences, donated by their partners, ranging from behind-the-scenes baseball opportunities to exclusive golf outings and specialty services for the event. Baseball fans would recognize the large amount of memorabilia being sold.
There were signed jerseys from many players, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Kyle Tucker, Will Smith, and Freddie Freeman, among others. There were even more signed baseballs, with Dave Roberts, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani, and Mookie Betts among those contributing.
Tucker’s teammates did more than sign autographs for his foundation; many of them showed up in person.
Even with another charity event elsewhere in Los Angeles honoring other Dodgers members, much of the team’s leadership still came to Tucker’s event.
Max Muncy, Tanner Scott, Dalton Rushing, Hunter Feduccia, and Will Klein all showed up to support Tucker.
Tucker is only months into his time with the Dodgers, but he is already one of the boys in the clubhouse, something he is not taking for granted.
“It’s awesome. Off days are pretty precious in terms of our season, especially with all the traveling and family time that they got to sacrifice throughout the year,” he said.
“So to see some of my teammates come out and support me and our foundation and spend some time with us tonight was awesome. It’s really fun to see them come out and support us along with other guys throughout the year.”
In just a handful of months as a Dodger, Tucker had a glowing review of his teammates: “Great teammates, great people overall.”
Throughout the evening, Kyle and Samantha moved through the crowd, greeting guests with genuine warmth and gratitude. Attendees mingled by tables piled high with delicious food and drinks, courtesy of local sponsors, creating a lively, communal buzz. The main event began when Tucker took the stage and delivered a heartfelt speech thanking the guests.
He shared his family’s story and played a moving video that captured the foundation’s mission. Tucker kicked off the night’s fundraising by donating $23,000 to his own charity, in honor of his number, while a few others chipped in as well.
The atmosphere shifted as the auction got underway. Excitement rippled through the room when Shohei Ohtani sent in a signed jersey, not present at the event but promised to the lucky winner. This coveted item immediately sparked a bidding frenzy. Bidding opened, paddles went up, and the price climbed by $500 at a time as nearly everyone in the room wanted it.
A signed Ohtani jersey isn’t available every day, and the final price reflected its rarity. The jersey sold for $10,000.
Next came four Dodgers tickets, a Michelin-star restaurant trip, and the chance to throw the first pitch in the 2027 season, raising thousands of dollars.
Once the marquee items sold, the online auction began, where attendees could purchase the remaining items, including the rest of the jerseys, balls, and other packages.
The event raised more than $50,000 in donations and proceeds, not including tickets and other donations.
Going forward, the Kyle Tucker Foundation will host an additional online auction this fall, where more baseball memorabilia will be available for people to bid on.
“Our first event out here in L.A. tonight was a big success. I am looking forward to doing a lot more stuff in the community,” Tucker said.
Tucker’s impact, both on and off the field, has quickly resonated with the LA faithful. The outpouring of support during the Pirates series and at the charity event made it clear: Tucker is already becoming a beloved community figure.
For those interested in supporting Tucker and his wife’s foundation, they regularly accept donations through their website and share updates on what the foundation does so you can follow along.
