Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola to receive the 2024 PSWA Humanitarian Award
For 16 days in November, Aaron Nola was a baseball free agent, available for recruiting, capable of demanding fame and wealth.
On the 17th day, he proved what he’d already spent years revealing when he re-upped with the Phillies for $172 million splashed over seven years.
He was perfect for Philadelphia.
And Philadelphia was perfect for him.
“I think all the memories and stuff kind of rolled through my head,” Nola said. “Living in the city, I looked out the window and was like, ‘Gosh, we might not be here.’ That’s the reality of it.”
With that, the Phillies had retained a pitcher who had just struck out a combined 437 batters while helping them into the last two postseasons. Just as important, Philadelphia had kept a treasured neighbor whose commitment to the community earned him the Ed Snider Humanitarian Award from the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.
He will receive the award at the organization’s 119th banquet on Wed. Jan. 17, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, NJ. Get your tickets to see Nola and many other great guests by clicking here now. Among the other honorees at this historic event will be: nearly 10 members of the 1973-74 Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers – the Living Legend-Team, highlighted by legendary goaltender Bernie Parent; PSWA Pro Athlete of the Year, pro boxer and newly crowned IBF Welterweight champion Jaron Ennis; PSWA Team of the Year, the Media Little Leaguers who reached the 2023 Little League World Series, and more.
The Phillies’ 2020 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award – annually presented to a player who best displays “extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field” – Nola has provided much more than consistently high-level starting pitching since joining the Phillies in 2015.
A sampling of his charitable endeavors:
- He is the ambassador for the Phans Feeding Families ballpark initiative with Citizens Bank to collect food and funding for Philabundance, a non-profit food bank to which he made a $15,000 donation.
- He actively supports the ALS Association both in Philadelphia and in his hometown of Baton Rouge, La.
- He hosts the Get in the Game celebrity bowling tournament to support the Philadelphia Futures high school mentoring program.
- He participates in the Shred Hate initiative to end bullying in Philadelphia schools.
- During the 2020 pandemic, he helped start the “Cheers PA” virtual fundraiser to supply emergency funds for the Hospitality Assistance Response (HARP) program in Pennsylvania.
- He has hosted his “Bowling for the Troops” event, presented by Yuengling, for the benefit of Team Red, White & Blue to help support veterans.
“Aaron Nola’s support for American veterans by hosting this event is both humbling and inspiring,” said Mike Erwin, the Team RWB executive director. “His support will have lasting impacts, too. When elite athletes like Aaron and companies like Yuengling proudly support today’s veterans, they also show a future generation of service members that they will be supported by their nation.”
Renowned for his willingness to start every fifth day and for pitching at least 168 innings in each of the last six full seasons, Nola feels pitching is just part of his responsibility to a city and an organization.
“I feel like a lot of fans see what we do on the field, but I think it’s more important off the field, as human beings — what we want to do and what we’re able to do,” he has said. “I think giving back off the field is real important. I’m grateful to use my platform on the field to help give back to others.”
So, that was the plan as the Phillies’ most tenured player backed away from free agency to commit to remaining in Philadelphia through the 2030 season.
“I’ve always wanted to be a Phillie,” Nola said. “I’ve always been a Phillie. This is the only place we kind of had our eyes set on. It’s the most comfortable place for me. Everybody in this organization is so good, has been so committed to winning, committed to the players. The relationships that I’ve made will last a lifetime, and I feel like it would have been hard to get away from those people.”
That, he has shown, on the field and well beyond.