Former Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun was evacuated from his home in California for the majority of the past six weeks due to the wildfires in Los Angeles.
Braun, 41, spoke of his appreciation for firefighters as they continue to try to keep people and buildings safe.
“Firefighters and first responders are truly heroes,” Braun told Pakinomist Digital on Saturday. “I don’t think we get a chance to thank them often enough. But those guys have put their lives on the line. They’ve worked day and night. I know a number of firefighters who literally didn’t sleep for 72 hours.
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Former Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Ryan Braun waves to fans during a ceremony announcing his retirement from baseball before a game against the New York Mets at American Family Field. (Benny Sieu/USA Today Sports)
“These guys are out there doing everything in their power to save as many people and structures as possible. Incredibly grateful for everything they’ve done for the community and today is an opportunity to try and say thank you to as many of them as possible.”
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Braun, along with World Series champion Mike Moustakas, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, Brewers star Christian Yelich and Mike Attanasio of Brewers ownership, created California Strong to help communities affected by the disaster.
California Strong is a program of the YMCA dedicated to providing support to all Californians after disasters.
Yelich spoke about the California community continuing to support each other in times of need.
“The community seems to step up whenever there are people in need. I remember the Woolsey Fire was about seven years ago now, which seems to have flown by, but it’s a long recovery process. You know, it’s not something that takes a day, a week, even a year,” Yelich told Pakinomist Digital.
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The Sunset Fire burns in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles on January 8, 2025. (Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“It’s a multi-year process and just to help people get back on their feet here at the beginning, hopefully be able to stay with them throughout the process and get back to normal whenever that may be.”
Moustakas talked about how California Strong emerged from Braun, Yelich, Goff and Attanasio just checking in with each other during tough times.
“It started with us checking in on each other and then quickly morphed into us trying to use our platforms to help those who needed it. And that’s one of the greatest things about it, we was able to do in baseball, was to use the platform in a way for good,” Moustakas told Pakinomist Digital.
“We were very fortunate enough to have this YMCA partner with us and it kind of took off from there. And we’re here today supporting a ton of families with a great community. We’re very happy to help these people. .”
Braun talked about how long and arduous the rebuilding process will be for people and how California Strong wants to help those people.
“We live in this community. We grew up in this community. We can relate to people and what they go through and deal with. Like Mike (Moustaktas), I have three young children, so I always see these situations through the lens of other parents. It’s a long and scary process for many people to think about where to start rebuilding their lives California Strong should support people after natural disasters and tragedies,” Braun said.
“That’s what we’ve tried to do over the last seven years. That’s what today is about. And the goal is to be able to support people both in the short term, immediately today and then in the longer term when they going through what ends up being a very long and challenging process to rebuild their lives.”
California Strong is working with Proactive Sports to help get Californians back on their feet.
Burned residential areas as wildfires continue to wreak havoc, reaching their fifth day and leaving extensive damage in residential areas in Los Angeles January 12, 2025. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Proactive Sports has been a partnership with California Strong since the beginning,” Proactive Sports owner Emily Capretta told Pakinomist Digital. “We hosted an event for those affected by the Woolsey Fire and the Borderline shooting, unfortunately, that we experienced in our community in 2018.
“And a really smart, strong group of women, we mobilized to hold a community thanksgiving, and that kind of started the beginning of California Strong,
“This particular event, the night they were displaced and lost their homes, I texted the original group of women that they wanted to do this again with me. And then I also texted Ryan Braun and I said: “It is time to mobilize. We must be the first point of action for those affected.”
