Justin Verlander supports veterans’ mental health.
Detroit Tigers pitcher and Goochland native Justin Verlander has won 152 Major League Baseball games, six all-star awards, the Cy Young Award and a pitching Triple Crown—but some of his most important victories have come off the field.
The former Old Dominion University standout committed $1 million in August 2013 to found the non-profit Wins for Warriors, which awards grants to charities and organizations that support mental health for veterans in the Norfolk, Richmond and Detroit areas.
“I get to play the game I love because of these men and women,” says Verlander. “They are coming home ready to continue to serve, and I hope our support can provide these leaders with an opportunity to do
just that.”
In 2013-2014, Wins for Warriors awarded $267,000 in grants to non-profit organizations Give an Hour and the Mission Continues, which provide free counseling and leadership programs for vets, respectively.
So far, in 2015, the foundation has awarded $327,800 to six charities, including the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program. WinsForWarriors.org
