Montecristi. – Former Major League player Nelson Cruz, through his Boomstick23 Foundation, held a social event that benefited thousands of citizens, including children, adolescents, and adults, in his hometown of Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Montecristi province, with interventions in the areas of health, education, sports, culture, and community assistance.
The initiative was dedicated as a tribute to the legacy of public service, community commitment, and social vocation of his late sister and former governor of Montecristi, Nelsy Milagros Cruz. It included a comprehensive medical operation, a sports clinic with multiple baseball players from Major Leagues, the delivery of toys to hundreds of children, as well as the donation of a fire truck to the municipality to strengthen the response capacity in the face of emergencies.
One of the main components of the day was the medical operation, which impacted more than 400 people, who received specialized consultations and free medications. It had a medical team of 25 professionals and covered the specialties of gynecology, orthopedics, dentistry, pediatrics, internal medicine, cardiology, diabetology, ophthalmology and surgery.
Similarly, the foundation chaired by Cruz delivered a fire truck to the municipality of Las Matas de Santa Cruz. Leaders and members of the Fire Department expressed their gratitude to the Boomstick23 Foundation and the Cruz family, highlighting that this contribution reinforces the security and operational capacity of the community.
In the educational area, the Boomstick23 Foundation, in partnership with the Oyate Foundation of New York, awarded scholarships to four outstanding students from the municipality, reaffirming its commitment to education as a key tool for social transformation. The young people benefited were: Radelis Valerio Díaz, Ranneris Ortiz, Darlin Piña and Arian Acosta Estévez .
Cruz highlighted the foundation’s ongoing commitment to education and urged young people to maintain responsible behavior. “As a foundation, we are committed to supporting education and accompanying young people in their growth. We advise them to listen to their parents, value their guidance, and understand that discipline and respect are fundamental in both life and sports,” he expressed.
Youth Impact Project
In a press conference for the closing of activities, the foundation announced the launch of the “Youth Impact” project, a social initiative aimed at the integral development and reduction of school dropout rates of adolescents and young people through sports and education as complementary axes of training.
This new project is aimed at school-aged people in the different municipalities of the province of Montecristi. The presentation was given by Nelssy Olga Cruz, who explained that this project starts from the premise that sport transmits values such as discipline, teamwork, perseverance and respect, which directly affect academic performance and civic education.
“It is a comprehensive social initiative aimed at strengthening the development of adolescents and young people, using sport as an educational tool and complementing it with academic training, health, and community participation,” he stated.
Major League Baseball Players Supported Initiative
As part of the social day, a sports clinic was held with the participation of Major League baseball players, reinforcing the foundation’s commitment to sports development from an early age.
The players present were: Freddy Peralta, Eduard Cabrera, Seranthony Domínguez, Ronny Rodríguez (el Felino Rodríguez), Luis Arráez, Albert Abreu, Jonas Lantigua, Enmanuel De la Rosa and Luis Peralta. These baseball stars trained and practiced alongside children and young people, sharing their experiences and providing them with guidance and motivation.
The Boomstick23 Foundation has more than 10 years of continuous social work in Las Matas de Santa Cruz and Montecristi province. The first medical operation promoted by the Cruz family was carried out in 2015, and in 2016 the foundation was formally established, consolidating its structure.
Boomstick23 is a non-profit organization committed to generating social impact, empowering children and young people in situations of social vulnerability, as well as developing skills and abilities through education and sports to improve their environment and quality of life.
As part of the day’s activities, hundreds of children were benefited through the delivery of toys. The agenda also included recognitions to outstanding students of the Las Matas de Santa Cruz Secondary School and to historical figures of the municipality, as well as the motivational conference “The future that awaits us”, and an artistic concert by Ramón Orlando Valoy.
In these activities driven by Fundación Boomstick23, Leissa Cruz Polanco, provincial governor; Virgilio Cruz, mayor of the municipality, and various authorities and personalities of the province participated.
For Major League Baseball (MLB), Miguel Matos, director of the office in the country, and Henry González, director of International Operations, were present. Juan Núñez, president of the Dominican Baseball Federation, also attended.
The Boomstick23 Foundation thanked the allied institutions and private companies whose support was key to making the actions of the day a reality.
