Pete Fairbanks works to make a positive impact in the Tampa Bay community and beyond. His service to the community is deeply personal, driven by lived experience, empathy and a desire to ensure others feel supported when they need it most.
Each time Fairbanks strikes out a batter, he and his wife, Lydia, donate $100 to the Turner Syndrome Foundation, a contribution matched by the Rays Baseball Foundation. The Fairbanks family started the Strikeouts for Ellis campaign in memory of their daughter, Ellis, whom they lost to Turner syndrome in early 2024. After this unimaginable loss, they transformed their grief into action. Their goal for the campaign is to bridge the gap between diagnosis and care, while raising awareness for Turner syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects females with a range of developmental and health issues.
The Fairbanks family also organizes an annual community day for the Turner Syndrome Foundation, which includes a group ticket package fundraiser at a Rays home game and an online auction featuring autographed memorabilia and exclusive experiences, including opportunities for children to build Lego sets and rip baseball cards with Pete, both among his favorite activities. As of August 2025, the Fairbanks’ initiatives for the Turner Syndrome Foundation have raised nearly $60,000.
In 2023, Pete and Lydia created an initiative called Pete’s Sneaks, with the goal of helping underserved students start the school year with a new pair of sneakers. Pete rallied support from other Rays players, and they each bought sneakers and school supplies for specific students, ensuring that each child could start the new school year with confidence and pride. In 2023, Pete’s Sneaks went to students in The Poynter Institute’s Write Field program, a writing and public speaking program for underserved middle and high school students. In 2024 and 2025, unaccompanied homeless youth supported by the nonprofit Starting Right, Now received sneakers, backpacks, apparel and school supplies. The children also met the players who shopped for them when they went as group to a Rays game.
Each year, the Fairbanks family prioritizes time with families in crisis by visiting the Ronald McDonald House in St. Petersburg, Fla. Alongside teammates and their partners, the Rays families serve a meal and provide snack kits to resident families at the Ronald McDonald House, which offers a temporary home to families who must travel significant distances to reach pediatric medical services.
Furthering his support for critically ill children, Pete takes part in Rays on the Runway, an annual event benefiting the Children’s Dream Fund. Rays on the Runway is a charity fashion show featuring children with life-threatening illnesses paired with Rays players and their significant others to model clothes on a runway. The event strives to give these brave children a fun moment in the spotlight while raising funds and awareness for those served by the Children’s Dream Fund in West Central Florida.
In June, Pete and Lydia visited GiGi’s Playhouse Tampa, which offers free therapeutic, educational and research-driven programs to individuals of all ages with Down syndrome. Pete visited GiGi’s Playhouse alongside several teammates and Texas Rangers player Jake Burger, as part of the Burger Family Foundation’s nationwide tour of GiGi’s Playhouses, raising awareness and acceptance for Down syndrome.
Pete’s efforts for the Tampa Bay community continue year-round. After neighbors endured catastrophic damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton in October 2024, Pete joined the Rays staff at an emergency distribution site at Tropicana Field managed by Feeding Tampa Bay, distributing food and supplies to families affected by the back-to-back storms.
The Fairbanks family also takes part in the Rays Annual Week of Giving, five days of service events and donations helping local nonprofits and families in need scheduled around the winter holidays. The Fairbanks family supported toy donation drives, benefiting Hispanic Services Council in 2023 and CASA Pinellas -- the official provider of services and support to domestic violence survivors in Pinellas County -- the next year, ensuring that some families facing hardship could feel hope and joy during the holidays.
The Rays are proud of Fairbanks’ dedication to the community and work in service to others. Pete Fairbanks exemplifies the Club’s commitment to build a strong community bond and serves as an extraordinary role model, which makes him an excellent candidate for the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award.