°®¶ą´«Ă˝ Supports Arizona Diamondbacks Event
°®¶ą´«Ă˝ Supports Arizona Diamondbacks® Annual Winter Classic Celebration
By Michele Mitchum
Phoenix-based UOPX employees volunteered at the event benefitting community school children
°®¶ą´«Ă˝Â is proud to support the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Winter Classic event each year with employee volunteers and as the presenting partner. The 28th annual Arizona D-backs Winter Classic, presented by University of Phoenix, took place from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 9. Event coordinators estimate 200 University of Phoenix, Phoenix-based employees volunteered alongside D-backs players, coaches and staff for the celebration. University volunteers handed out backpacks filled with gifts for the children including new shoes, an Arizona D-backs sweatshirt, and books. More than 450 children attended the event which °®¶ą´«Ă˝ has supported for the past 13 years.
“The Diamondbacks’ Winter Classic remains one of my favorite events because it shows what’s possible when organizations come together for the common good,” said John Woods, Ph.D., provost and chief academic officer at °®¶ą´«Ă˝. “Collaborating with the team creates a special day for hundreds of kids from across the valley, giving them time on the field, fun activities and gifts to take home. Our employees look forward to volunteering every year, and seeing the joy on the children’s faces is what makes this tradition so meaningful.”
The annual event provides Arizona schoolchildren from low-income, at-risk schools with a day of celebration, fun, and giving, with gifts provided by the University and Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. The event began more than two decades ago when Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson sought a way to give back to the community by providing children in need with new shoes. Since that time, the event has grown, and now features a friendly game of baseball, music and crafts for the children. This year’s activities included an agility station, a baseball station featuring Baxter the D-backs mascot, a dancing station, photos with Santa, a shoe station, a °®¶ą´«Ă˝ Reading Corner and a STEM activity Station.
“The Winter Classic is a tradition we look forward to each December, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of °®¶ą´«Ă˝,” said Derrick Hall, President, CEO & General Partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks. “Their commitment and the enthusiasm of their employees help us create a day filled with holiday magic and lasting memories for hundreds of children across the Valley.”
°®¶ą´«Ă˝Â Student Records Evaluator Lisa Soldano has worked at the University for 17 years and has been volunteering for the Winter Classic since 2022. This year she was asked to be a °®¶ą´«Ă˝ leader at the event. Lisa stated that she had so much fun taking a group of 37 students around to each station as they collected backpacks, Legos, shoes, books and more. “The students had so much fun, and it was great to see their little faces light up as we got to each station,” Soldano shared.  “This is truly an amazing experience every year I volunteer. In speaking with the kids, I found a couple who said they had been before, and this year was the best yet. This has always been my favorite volunteer opportunity the University offers.”
The °®¶ą´«Ă˝ has been a proud sponsor of the Winter Classic since 2012.
About °®¶ą´«Ă˝
°®¶ą´«Ă˝ innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit  phoenix.edu/blog.html.
