A minor leaguer in the Atlanta Braves organization is pitching in to help friends victimized by the deadly wildfires.
Ian “JR” Ritchie, a pitcher for the Braves Class A affiliate in Augusta, Georgia, is spearheading a fundraiser to help “countless locals that we consider friends and family now,” according to a GoFundMe page set up by the 20-year-old.
Ritchie, the Braves’ top pick in the June 2022 MLB June amateur draft, grew up in Bainbridge Island, Washington, but called Maui his family’s “second home” due to trips to the island through the years.
“These people have changed my life with their kindness and compassion and now it’s time for us to return the favor,” Ritchie wrote.
Ritchie said all proceeds will go to his friends at the Hitter’s Paradise baseball facility in Maul and the HP Fire Relief Fund bank account, WSB-TV reported.
“Coach Mike at Hitter’s Paradise has allowed me to use his facilities to train as well as help local kids in camps,” Ritchie wrote. “I never ask for anything, but I’m asking today.”
The death toll was listed at 93 on Sunday and that number is expected to climb as the Hawaii wildfire became the deadliest blaze in the U.S. since 1918.
According to Sports Illustrated, Ritchie is on the minor league baseball injured list with an elbow injury. He has started four games for the GreenJackets and has an 0-1 record with a 5.40 ERA, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Despite his record, the right-hander had 25 strikeouts in 13.1 innings this year.
An attendee reacts during a Sunday church service held at Lahaina’s Grace Baptist Church.
A burnt-out car lies in the driveway of a charred house in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii.
A burnt out car and a sign reading "No Way Through" stand in the driveway of charred apartment complex in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina.
Tempers flared as residents waited in long lines as they are not allowed to pass a checkpoint to return to their homes in Lahaina.
A resident found some dishes among the rubble of a house that survived the wildfire.
Crews are searching areas for flareups, items, and missing people following the wildfires in Hawaii swept through the area.
Maui residents John Rey Serrano and Lexie Lara look from a road above Lahaina Town in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
Davilynn Severson holds a page of a yearbook as she looks for belongings through the ashes of their family’s home in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina.
Maui resident John Rey Serrano reacts while looking from a road above Lahaina Town in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
Hano Ganer looks through the ashes of his family’s home on Malolo Place in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
Trixy Nuesca-Ganer looks through the ashes of their family’s home in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina.
A woman cradles her cat after finding him in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
Burnt books are seen by the public library in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
A burned cars sits among destroyed buildings in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
A destroyed building is pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
Burned cars, destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii
Destroyed buildings and homes are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
Residents walk among their destroyed home in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
Zoltan Balogh clears away trees that were burned by wildfire in Kula, Hawaii.
In an aerial view, cars back up for miles on the Honoapiilani highway as residents are allowed back into areas affected by the recent wildfire on Friday.
Burned houses and buildings are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire, is seen in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii.
