VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - You'd typically find Dodgers utility player Chris Taylor swinging a bat, but on Sunday afternoon, he swaps it out for a golf club, instead.
"The golf swing is still a work in progress for sure," Cox High School product Taylor said. "Not a great golfer by any means, but I have fun."
The fun is all part of the Virginia Beach native's "Driving for Hope" charity event. His CT3 Foundation fundraiser teamed up with Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and Roc Solid Foundation, with all proceeds going toward children who are battling cancer.
"I’m very fortunate to be in the position I’m in," Taylor said about his Major League Baseball success. "My whole life I’ve pretty much been focused on baseball, and getting to where I am now, and I’ve been given this platform and it’s my duty to use it for good."
The inspiration behind Taylor's CT3 Foundation comes from one of his closest childhood friends, Kyle Profilet, who lost his fight against osteosarcoma two-and-a-half years ago.
"That kind of inspired me to get involved, and raise awareness, and do what I can to help cancer research and kids with cancer," Taylor said.
The 2020 World Series champion isn't just making a valuable impact off the field, but on the field as well. As a result, in December, he and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a four-year deal worth $60 million.
"It’s definitely nice to have the security," said Taylor, who's played for the Dodgers since the 2006 season. "I knew all along L.A. was where I wanted to be. It is my home now and I love the team, I love the coaches, the fans, the city. I love everything about it and I was happy to get a deal done and hopefully I can be there for the next 4-5 years, maybe even longer."
He'll continue swinging bats in L.A., but not before swinging golf clubs for a good cause in his hometown of Virginia Beach.
About Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD)
Over the past 60-plus years, CHKD has grown into a 206-bed teaching hospital that is the heart of an extensive pediatric healthcare system. Every day, dozens of children are admitted to the hospital and thousands more are cared for at CHKD primary care pediatric practices, surgical practices, urgent care centers, specialty clinics, and multi-service health centers throughout the region. The Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at CHKD is the area’s top referral center for pediatric cancer, sickle cell disease, and blood disorders and follows more than 500 pediatric cancer patients each year. CHKD is a nonprofit organization whose services and programs address pressing public health needs that would otherwise go unmet. The generosity of donors allows CHKD to provide care to any child who needs them, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
About Roc Solid Foundation
Roc Solid Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit that builds hope for kids fighting cancer. Founded by pediatric cancer survivor Eric Newman, the organization is best known for giving Ready Bags to families when their child is first diagnosed, as well as providing backyard playsets to kids during treatment. Roc Solid is based in Virginia but is growing both programs nationwide with the vision to build hope for every child diagnosed with cancer in the U.S.
