During the Los Angeles Dodgers’ current nine-game homestand, two signature Kershaw’s Challenge events are being conducted this week.
The first event was the 10th annual Ping Pong 4 Purpose at Dodger Stadium, followed by the Back to School Bash two days later. After difficulties brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, both events returned to normal last year.
Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen participated for the first time in the 2022 Ping Pong 4 Purpose after a two-year hiatus. In contrast, last year’s school event at The Dream Center was again more of a festival than a simple drive-through event.
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Kershaw’s Challenge activities in 2023
Ping Pong for Objectives: July 27
The tenth annual Ping Pong 4 Purpose benefitted the charity Kershaw’s Challenge and its 2023 recipients: The Dream Center, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Arise Africa, Both Ends Believing, International Justice Mission, and Hope Walks.
This year, Cedric The Entertainer and Max Greenfield hosted PP4P at Dodger Stadium, which was attended by numerous luminaries, including Dodgers players, Mario Lopez, Holly Robinson-Peete, Marcellus Wiley, and The Miz.
And for the very first time in its history, Kershaw’s Challenge Ping Pong 4 Purpose concluded with a blackjack tournament.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman defeated Clayton Kershaw and Austin Barnes in the 2023 Ping Pong 4 Purpose championship match.
Back to School Celebration: July 29
Kershaw’s Challenge and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation are hosting a Back to School Bash for local pupils.
The Dream Center will provide backpacks, an assortment of school supplies, a petting menagerie, a ferris wheel, and a water slide for visiting families. Additionally, UCLA Health will have volunteers available to provide dental, nursing, and other healthcare services.
“We are halfway through the baseball season, which means a new school year will soon begin,” Kershaw said. “There is no greater way to begin the second half of the baseball season than by partnering with the Dream Center for another Back to School Bash.
“Because we have four children of our own, we comprehend the excitement and demands of a new school year. Our colleagues at the Dream Center do an extraordinary job of preparing children and their families for the upcoming school year. Kershaw’s Challenge is thrilled to collaborate with them again this year. Our family is thrilled to meet children and distribute backpacks on July 29. Our family looks forward to this event every year.”
Nichol Whiteman, chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, added, “Kershaw’s Challenge has been a tremendous partner and collaborator in providing Los Angeles’ at-risk children with secure places to play and learn.
“We are thrilled to help provide the necessary resources for academic success at the 10th annual Back-to-School Bash so that all children, regardless of where they live, can thrive.”