Dallas Braden focuses his community service activities on encouraging children to acieve their athletic goals. Raised by his mother, Braden recognizes the obstacles many families face and the sacrifices they make so that their children can participate in sports.

For the Oakland A’s Little League Day this year, Braden bought 572 tickets for players and their guests to their game against the Rockies. He works to support the youth of Hoover Tyler Little League, serving as a sponsor to two boys in the league. They've attended a baseball clinic with Braden, met other Oakland A’s players, and even threw the ceremonial opening pitch at the Little League Day game. Braden says, “The little things in life can go unappreciated at times, but can also go a long way. Giving a new ball glove to a child not only can keep a dream alive, but also bring a smile to a face and a tear to an eye.”

In addition to these efforts, Braden has worked with both St. Mary’s Interfaith Services in Stockton to provide food for the needy, collecting over 845 pounds of food for last year’s Thanksgiving holiday. Braden will receive the Dave Stewart Community Service Award, given to an Oakland A’s player to recognize their community involvement.

About Dallas Braden

Dallas Braden pitches for the Oakland Athletics. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and raised in Stockton, California, where he played for the Hoover Tyler Little League, which he now supports. He started his college career with two seasons at American River College, and went on to play for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Braden was drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2004 and received the Pitcher of the Year award in 2005 for achieving fifteen wins.