Hawaii wildfires: Braves minor league pitcher raising funds for Maui victims

A minor leaguer in the Atlanta Braves organization is pitching in to help friends victimized by the deadly wildfires.

Ian “JR” Ritchie, a pitcher for the Braves Class A affiliate in Augusta, Georgia, is spearheading a fundraiser to help “countless locals that we consider friends and family now,” according to a GoFundMe page set up by the 20-year-old.

Ritchie, the Braves’ top pick in the June 2022 MLB June amateur draft, grew up in Bainbridge Island, Washington, but called Maui his family’s “second home” due to trips to the island through the years.

According to authorities, this week, a raging wildfire tore through the Hawaiian island of Maui, killing at least 93 people. https://t.co/uwQ0ldf3Ds
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) August 13, 2023

“These people have changed my life with their kindness and compassion and now it’s time for us to return the favor,” Ritchie wrote.

Ritchie said all proceeds will go to his friends at the Hitter’s Paradise baseball facility in Maul and the HP Fire Relief Fund bank account, WSB-TV reported.

“Coach Mike at Hitter’s Paradise has allowed me to use his facilities to train as well as help local kids in camps,” Ritchie wrote. “I never ask for anything, but I’m asking today.”

The death toll was listed at 93 on Sunday and that number is expected to climb as the Hawaii wildfire became the deadliest blaze in the U.S. since 1918.

According to Sports Illustrated, Ritchie is on the minor league baseball injured list with an elbow injury. He has started four games for the GreenJackets and has an 0-1 record with a 5.40 ERA, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Despite his record, the right-hander had 25 strikeouts in 13.1 innings this year.