Yahoo News Ed Sheeran Rocks Dodger Stadium as Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Raises $54M
Ed Sheeran played his first U.S. gig since September at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night, in support of the organization’s Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation efforts to improve education, healthcare and homelessness in the city.
This year’s Blue Diamond Gala — dubbed the “Party for L.A.” — kicked off with a set by Grammy-winning DJ Anderson .Paak taking the centerfield stage as his alter ego, DJ Pee .Wee, to spin an all-vinyl set that featured hits from Boyz II Men, Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott.
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Dodgers and SportsNet L.A. reporter Kirsten Watson then introduced Dodgers owner Mark Walter, who stunned the crowd with a $50 million donation from the squad’s ownership group — with a vow to double that sum should his heavily favored and star-studded team win the 2024 World Series.
“It’s important we give back and help the most important causes in Los Angeles,” Walter said, stressing he wanted to ensure the L.A. Dodgers Foundation becomes a “premier charity” in Southern California. Walter’s donation brings the total raised by the LADF to $154 million since the organization was reimagined in 2013.
Walter’s donation brought tears to the eyes of a visibly moved LADF CEO Nichol Whiteman, who said she envisioned a city of Los Angeles where “every Angeleno has an opportunity to thrive.”
The LADF has impacted more than 10 million youths in the L.A. region, Whiteman said, as she noted she is “focused on making a lasting impact” in the city. “This work will continue to be bigger than baseball,” she said, adding that she hopes to expand the foundation’s services and awareness.
“Together, we can improve the quality of life so everyone — regardless of their ZIP code — has the opportunity to thrive,” she said before presenting a video that showcased three players from the Dodgers’ Dream Team who had received scholarships to continue their education. Two of those players then came out on stage to introduce Sheeran for his nearly two-hour set.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to receive such a phenomenal gift from our chairman and Dodgers ownership, cementing our ability to create lasting impact for Los Angeles,” Whiteman said in a release Friday. “This stunning announcement in the presence of our amazing partners and supporters is a gift to the Los Angeles community and it made this year’s Blue Diamond Gala truly unforgettable.”
Sheeran, a four-time Grammy winner, performed a one-man show using a Loop Station that wowed the crowd, which included Dodgers stars Mookie Betts (the National League Player of the Month for April), Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Tyler Glasnow, as well as Magic Johnson and broadcaster and former Dodger Rick Monday, among others.
Sheeran’s two-hour set included “Castle on the Hill,” “Shivers,” “The A Team,” “Give Me Love,” “Don’t,” “Love Yourself” and “Thinking Out Loud,” the latter of which the singer-songwriter dubbed a “song your grandmother knows.”
Multiple players were spotted dancing during Sheeran’s set, with utility man Kiké Hernandez getting up on a table at one point. Ohtani, who signed the biggest professional sports contract ($700 million over 10 years) with the Dodgers this offseason, attended the gala with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, a former star for the Women’s Japan Basketball League. The newlyweds stayed until the end of Sheeran’s set.
Following the Blue Carpet and dinner in a makeshift tent, attendees were entertained by the L.A. Unified School District’s Banning High School Marching Band, KIPP Sol Mariachi Folklorico, the Little Tokyo Center Traditional Drum Group and the Compton Kidz Club as they made their way into the stadium through the bullpen and onto the outfield grass.
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