Employee Engagement

The Rays Employee Community Outreach Team (ECOT), presented by Colony Grill, was established in 2008 to provide invaluable volunteer hours to community service agencies that enhance or improve the quality of life in the communities they serve. Service projects are chosen from ideas suggested by an employee-led committee. Volunteering not only benefits the community, but also Rays employees, by allowing them to give back in a meaningful way through the course of their normal work day. In total, Rays employees have logged more than 41,500 volunteer hours to support nonprofits in the Tampa Bay region.

Each year, the Rays partner with Campbell Park Elementary School for the Great American Teach-In. The Great American Teach-In provides an opportunity for members of the community to come in and speak with students about their occupations, hobbies, or areas of interest. Rays staff members speak to students about the many career opportunities at the Rays.

Throughout the year, Rays employees visit the Ronald McDonald House in St. Petersburg to provide the families of patients at local children’s hospitals with a home-cooked meal. Rays employees purchase the food, then cook and serve the meal while socializing with the families.

As part of the Rays partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters, each year, Rays employees volunteer to be a Big Brother or Big Sister and mentor a student at Campbell Park Elementary School which is located next to Tropicana Field. In addition to providing guidance and companionship through weekly mentoring, the Bigs also bring their Littles to a Rays game during the season.

Since 2006, one day per week, Rays employees deliver meals to homebound seniors in St. Petersburg. The deliveries provide seniors with not only a nutritious, balanced meal that they would otherwise not have access to, but also conversation and companionship.

In August 2019, the Tampa Bay Rays delivered school supplies, backpacks, uniforms, hygiene products, sports equipment and Rays giveaway items to the students at Escuela Basica Patria Mirabal, a primary school adjacent to the Rays Academy in Guerra, Dominican Republic. On the first day of school, each student received their very own backpack full of the aforementioned items, a very special lunch catered by our Executive Chef from the Rays Academy and topped off the day with an ice cream party. The afternoon included the chance to play baseball, lots of dancing and a number of other games alongside the community engagement department and Rays Academy staff. The teachers were also provided with a substantial supply of items for use throughout the school year. Additionally, the Rays hired a local contractor to make significant improvements to the school's infrastructure, including the addition of running water. The installation of a well and a functional sink made the school eligible for a government-funded hot lunch program. The improvements also included painting both the interior and exterior of the buildings, installing brand new restroom facilities, laying the foundation for a basketball court and providing the necessary playing equipment. The impact was felt throughout the neighborhood and around much of Guerra, with over 200 in attendance and readying more than 100 children for the upcoming school year. The Rays are planning to stay closely connected to the school for the foreseeable future.

In partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County, to date, the Tampa Bay Rays have funded and built two homes for deserving families in Pinellas County. Rays employees provided over 1,000 volunteer hours on each of the construction sites. For Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County, the first Rays-sponsored home marked the first time in the nonprofit's 30-year history that a corporate funding partner also provided more than 90 percent of the manpower hours required to build the home.

KaBOOM! works to bring balanced and active play into the daily lives of all children, particularly those growing up in poverty in America. The Tampa Bay Rays mission is to energize our community through the magic of Rays baseball. Through this partnership with KaBOOM!, the Rays ensure children will have the joyful childhood they deserve. The Rays support KaBOOM! in promoting and protecting a child's right to active play at home, school, and in the community. The Rays, in partnership with KaBOOM! have completed seven projects for the following organizations: CASA, Citizen's Alliance for Progress, James B. Sanderlin Family Center, Layla's House, Team Success, University Area CDC, and YMCA Camp Christina.