Playing For Good

Building With Baseball
Since 2015

What started as a single trip to the Dominican Republic in 2015 for a group of DC high school baseball players has become an ongoing way to serve Dominican communities – with our common love of baseball bringing us together.

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At Building With Baseball, we’re playing – and building – for good.

Every year we lead a trip to the Dominican Republic for the a group of DC public high school baseball players across the city. For six days the team engages in pre-planned service projects in partnership with the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and The Foundation for Peace. Our fundraising efforts go beyond the trip itself: we bring 50 bags of baseball equipment to donate to local players and provide significant funding to our partners. Those latter efforts have included putting two young women through medical school, making financial gifts to the orphanage, providing materials to repair baseball fields, and much, much more. Will you consider making a donation to support our work?

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Build With Us

we're PARTNERING with Dominican communities.

Whether we’re running baseball clinics for the children in the Bateyes, laying a concrete floor for a chicken coop at the orphanage, painting walls and ceilings, helping build a house, or visiting with the children in the orphanage and seniors in the retirement home – we’re working in solidarity and partnership with Dominican communities.

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For the Love

The love of the game sets our mission apart.

We arrive with 50 bags of donated baseball equipment and uniforms for the youth teams in the small town of Consuelo. We then share our love of the game by leading clinics for kids at a baseball diamond cut from a sugar cane field. We also get to learn from extraordinary Dominican baseball players and visit one of the pristine Dominican MLB Academies.

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Testimonials

“San Pedro de Macorís and its surrounding areas, especially Consuelo and its Bateyes, have benefited in an extraordinary way from our friends in Washington, D.C., who have made the trip to the Dominican Republic every year since 2015. They have been able to contribute to the community in many ways, building houses, paying for university studies, and funding numerous technical courses. They have also made many community contributions in the Bateyes, such as bleachers, dugouts, and, above all, many sports and school supplies. We are extremely grateful for their contributions.”

Luis Noel
Baltimore Orioles Scout in the DR

“I had long heard good things about the DR program, but only by participating in it as a representative of a local DC non-profit did I fully understand its remarkable impact and importance. So much packed into one week for the athletes and the adults who accompany them: highly competitive baseball against quality Dominican teams; meaningful service projects and fun sightseeing that provides a window into the DR’s vibrant culture; and a powerful bonding experience for kids and adults alike as they navigate this wonderfully enriching experience together. ‘Life-changing’ is perhaps an overused term, but it definitely applies to the DR trip.”

Nick Femia
President, DC Batter Up!

"This trip truly means the world to me. Being able to give back to my own community has always been a dream, and getting to do it alongside my players makes it even more special. Watching them experience what it means to appreciate what they have, to serve others, and to see the power of community, is something I’ll never forget. This trip brought us closer together and helped us build strong team chemistry before the season even starts. There’s no better feeling than touching down in the Dominican Republic every year and making all of this happen!"

Coach Robinson “Robbie” Mateo
Jackson Reed Tigers Baseball

"I’ve been on this trip numerous times and have seen firsthand how it can impact people’s lives. Some of us improved our baseball skills. Some of us came home with a healthy dose of perspective. All of us gave something to help people in need and had an experience that enriched our own lives. So if you’re reading this and wondering what to do, my advice is: send your kid. Go yourself. Donate. I promise that when you walk onto that baseball diamond cut from a sugar cane field, you’ll know you’re in the right place."

Andrew Whitener
Owner, District Performance
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, DC Dynasty Baseball

What a Trip

A Life-Changing Experience.

Each trip is a deeply humbling and life-changing experience, as we are immersed in a different culture and language. We learn so much from each other. It’s not just about giving back, but about receiving all that our friends in the DR have to give us.

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