Former Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun has been evacuated from his California home for most of the past six weeks due to Wildfires in Los Angeles.
Braun, 41, spoke of his gratitude to firefighters who continue to try to protect people and buildings.
“Firefighters and EMS are truly heroes,” Braun told Fox News Digital on Saturday. “I don’t think we get a chance to thank them often enough. But those guys put their lives on the line. They worked day and night. I know a number of firefighters who literally didn’t sleep for 72 years.
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Former Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Ryan Braun waves to fans during his retirement announcement ceremony before the 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 facilities as possible. Incredibly grateful for everything they’ve done for the community, and today is an opportunity to try and thank 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 in the aftermath of disasters.
Yelich spoke about a California community that continues 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, which seems to have passed, but it’s a long recovery process. You know, it’s not something that takes a day, a week, even a year,” Yelich told Fox News 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 I can stay with them throughout the process and get back to normal whenever that is.”
Moustakas talked about how California Strong was born out of Braun, Yelich, Goff and Attanasio simply checking each other out during tough times.
“It started as us checking each other out, and then it quickly transformed into trying to use our platforms to help those in need. And that’s one of the biggest things about what we’ve been able to do in baseball is use our platforms in a way for good ” Moustakas told Fox News Digital.
“We were very fortunate to have this YMCA partner with us, and it took off from there. And we’re here today supporting a ton of families with a great community. We’re very excited to help these people.”
Braun talked about how long and difficult 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’re going through and what they’re dealing with. Much like Mike (Moustakas), I have three young children, so I’m always looking at these. It’s a long and scary process for many people to start rebuilding their lives. For us, the goal of California Strong was to support people after natural disasters and tragedies,” Braun said.
“That’s what we’ve been trying 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, right now and then in the long term as they go through what ends up being a very long and challenging process of rebuilding their lives.”
California Strong partners with Proactive Sports to get Californians back on their feet.
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Residential areas burned as wildfires continue to wreak havoc, reaching their fifth day and leaving extensive damage in residential areas in Los Angeles on January 12, 2025. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Proactive Sports has partnered with California Strong since the beginning,” Proactive Sports owner Emily Capretta told Fox News Digital. “We hosted events for those affected by the Woolsey fire and the Borderline shooting, unfortunately, which we experienced in our community in 2018.
“And a really smart, strong group of women that we mobilized to do community gratitude, and that kind of started the beginning of California Strong,
“On this particular event, the night they were displaced and lost their homes, I texted that original group of women that they wanted to do this again with me. And then I also texted Ryan Braun, and I said, ‘It’s time for the mobilization to be the first point of action for those affected.”
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