Dodgers ownership makes massive donation to wildfire relief as LA begins to rebuild

With the Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes Fires at 97-99% containment as of Jan. 30, the Los Angeles area has begun the long process of recovery. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently deployed for hazardous material cleanup and debris removal before the city can start rebuilding in earnest.

The damage to the city because of the fires, which began on Jan. 7 and are just now being completely subdued, has been catastrophic. The Dodgers have pitched in on team and individual levels — the team committed $8 million to multiple organizations alongside 11 other LA-based teams, and Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Chris Taylor have all committed funds toward relief groups. Players are also currently on a "Dodgers Love LA Community Tour;" Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, and Ben Casparius all paid a visit to a local fire station on Thursday.

Dodgers owner Mark Walter is taking things to another level. He, along with Magic Johnson and president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee Casey Wasserman, were tapped to lead the LA Rises initiative by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The Mark Walter Family Foundation and Dodgers Foundation have committed $100 million to the initiative.

Dodgers owner Mark Walter commits $100 million toward relief aid after LA wildfires

The Dodgers also opened Dodger Stadium as a relief center for displaced families in mid-January, with Blake Snell and other players giving out hygiene kits and school supplies. The team now has a dedicated page directing fans where to donate and connecting those affected with local resources.

Ohtani and Freeman donated a combined $800,000 personally, and Taylor matched donations up to $5,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The Dodgers and other LA teams also partnered with Fanatics to produce 'LA Strong' shirts, the proceeds of which will go to relief efforts.

After the Dodgers' contribution to the initial $8 million donation was announced, they caught some heat online when their $667,000 paled in comparison to Mets owner Steve Cohen's $1 million donation. It's unlikely that Walter needed that discourse to spur him to action, but his and the Dodgers' $100 million allocation certainly makes all of that needless discourse completely inconsequential now. The Dodgers have an obligation to give back to the city, and they're making good on that now.