Many know him as “Uncle Charlie” or “Waino” — the St. Louis Cardinals pitcher who always puts others’ needs before his own. As the 2020 recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, Major League Baseball’s top honor for philanthropy, Adam Wainwright’s heart for service is impossible to overlook.
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On Sept. 10, at the start of a Cardinals game, Adam and his family were honored with a special surprise from friends and fellow teammates. Inspired by Adam’s and Jenny’s generous hearts, a Water Mission safe water project in Haiti was dedicated in their name.
“Everyone knows what Adam’s like, so anything he’s involved in, you know, is going to be great,” says teammate Paul Goldschmidt. “He just has a heart for helping people.”
It’s no surprise that Adam is so well respected by his friends and teammates. They see his heart for serving others and are inspired to follow in his footsteps.
“I tell him, ‘When I grow up, I want to be just like you,’” said St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina as he smiled.
Wainwright’s partnership with Water Mission
Since 2013, Adam and Jenny have partnered with Water Mission, a Christian engineering nonprofit that has brought safe and Living Water to more than 7 million people. That same year, Adam traveled to Haiti, where he witnessed the transformative impact safe water can have on a community.
“Adam and Jenny’s partnership with Water Mission has literally touched hundreds of thousands of lives across Latin America, Africa and places around the world,” said Scott Linebrink, a former MLB pitcher and current partnerships director at Water Mission.
While the dedication of this safe water project in Haiti was planned well in advance, it comes at a time when the country is still recovering from August’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake.
Adam and Jenny’s intentional compassion for others
Because of the support from Adam and Jenny’s friends and teammates, more communities in Haiti will have access to safe water.
The compassion the Wainwrights have for serving others is remarkable. Their continued generosity and servant leadership furthers the legacy of the Roberto Clemente Award and shares God’s abundant love.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to receive so many gifts our way,” Adam said. “What we’ve found out as a family is that it’s almost a better feeling to pass those gifts on.”
Adam and Jenny’s goal is to use their platform to serve others worldwide and ultimately share the Gospel.
“This praise would surely make him uncomfortable unless glory was given to the One he serves — Jesus Christ,” Linebrink said in a previous article. “When asked about the legacy he hopes to leave in the game, his thoughts turn to inspiring players across the league to give back.”
We are grateful for Adam, Jenny and all of the professional athletes who partner with Water Mission to provide safe water to communities in need.
Acadia Munari is a freelance writer for Water Mission.
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