Former Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun has been evacuated from his home in California for most of the past six weeks due to the Los Angeles wildfires.
Braun, 41, spoke of his appreciation for firefighters as they continue to try to keep people and buildings safe.
“Firefighters and first responders are true heroes,” Braun told PK Press Club Digital on Saturday.. “I don’t think we get a chance to thank them often enough. But these guys put their lives on the line. They worked night and day. I know a number of firefighters who literally didn’t sleep for 72 hours. hours.
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Former Milwaukee Brewers player 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 doing everything in their power to save as many people and structures as possible. They are incredibly grateful for everything they have done for the community, and today is their opportunity to try to 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 Brewers ownership Mike Attanasio created California Strong to help disaster-affected communities.
California Strong is a YMCA program dedicated to supporting all Californians after a disaster.
Yelich spoke about the California community that continues to support each other in times of need.
“The community seems to rally together whenever there are people in need. I remember the Woolsey fire happened about seven years ago now, and it seems to have gone away, but it “It’s a long recovery process, you know, it’s not something that takes a day, a week, or even a year,” Yelich told PK Press Club Digital.
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The Sunset Fire burns in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood 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 in the beginning, I hope I can stay with them through the process and get back to normal when that happens.”
Moustakas explained how California Strong came from Braun, Yelich, Goff and Attanasio simply reaching out to each other in tough times.
“It started with us looking out for each other, and then quickly evolved into trying to use our platforms to help those in need. And that’s one of the greatest things about what we have What I can do in baseball is use the platform in a good way,” Moustakas told PK Press Club Digital.
“We were fortunate to have this YMCA partner with us, and it all took off from there. And we’re here today to support a ton of families with a great community. We’re very happy to help these people.
Braun explained how long and arduous the rebuilding process will be for people and how California Strong wants to help these people.
“We live in this community. We grew up in this community. We can relate to the people and what they’re going through and what they’re going through. Like Mike (Moustaktas), I have three young children and I so always see. It’s a long and daunting process for a lot of people to think about where to start rebuilding their lives And, so, for us, the goal of California Strong was to support people after disasters. natural disasters and tragedies,” Braun said.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do for the last seven years. That’s what matters today. And the goal is to be able to support people both in the short term, immediately today, then in the longer term, as they go through what ends up being a very long and difficult process of rebuilding their lives.
California Strong is working with Proactive Sports to help Californians get back on their feet.
Residential areas burned as wildfires continue to wreak havoc, reaching their fifth day and causing significant damage in residential areas of Los Angeles on January 12, 2025. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Proactive Sports has been partnered with California Strong since its inception,” Emily Capretta, owner of Proactive Sports, told PK Press Club Digital. “We sadly hosted an event for those affected by the Woolsey Fire and Borderline Shooting, which we experienced in our community in 2018.
“And a group of very smart, strong women that we mobilized to do a community thanksgiving, and that’s kind of the beginning of California Strong,
“This particular event, the night that those who were displaced and losing their homes, I texted the original group of women to say that they wanted to do this again with me. And then I also texted Ryan Braun, and I said, “It’s time to mobilize. We must be the first point of action for those affected.
