On March 4, all nine elementary schools in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, received a heartwarming gift: baseball gloves from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. The city had been heavily affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on January 1.
At Monzen Higashi Elementary School, the children immediately started playing catch, filling the air with laughter and the sound of balls hitting gloves.
In a message to Ohtani, the students shouted in unison: "Thank you for the gloves, and congratulations on your marriage!" Ohtani had just announced his marriage via social media on February 29 JST.
Inspiring Dreams
Monzen Higashi Elementary School, which shares classes with Monzen Nishi Elementary School, brought together all students to present the special gloves.
Ohtani's message was read out to the students, meeting rapturous applause: "I hope these gloves become a symbol to inspire dreams and give courage to the next generation."
Wajima Senior High School, accommodating students from six other schools that had been temporarily closed since the earthquake, organized a similar event to present the gloves. The city's education board reported a total participation of 90 students across these events.
Ohtani's generosity doesn't end there. He aims to donate around 60,000 gloves to 20,000 schools. Each school will receive three gloves — two right-handed and one left-handed.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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