Dominican Republic, where dreams began – and tears
Before becoming an icon for the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols was a boy growing up in the harsh sun and deprivation of a poor area in the Dominican Republic. His family had to wait in line for… clean water, sometimes for hours, just to receive a few cans of dirty water.
“Clean water is not just a necessity for me. It is a symbol of survival, of hope, of not having to choose between hunger and disease,” Pujols once shared during a visit back to his hometown.
300 wells – 300 miracles
After becoming a star in MLB, Pujols founded the Pujols Family Foundation – initially to help children with Down syndrome, but then he expanded his mission: building clean water wells for his hometown community. To date, he has sponsored and directly participated in digging more than 300 wells, bringing life to more than 30,000 people in remote areas of Dominica.
An image that made the whole world speechless: 7-year-old Parisa took her first sip of clean water from a well sponsored by Pujols, then burst into tears and said: “Mommy, this water… is cool and odorless!”
Pujols continues to support his community with educational, medical, and emergency projects. His foundation has paid for heart surgeries for more than 600 children, provided scholarships for needy students, and built several community sports centers.
What’s special: Most of these activities take place in silence. There are no press conferences, no live broadcasts, just smiles and hugs.
“The best home runs are not on the field”
In St. Louis, where Pujols was inducted into the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame, fans love him even more for what he did outside of baseball. “We know Pujols is great, but now he’s a hero,” said one fan at the ceremony.
Albert Pujols once said:
“I lived the American dream, but I will never forget the dream that people in my hometown are trying to keep alive every day – the dream of living.”
Amidst a baseball world full of controversy, calculation and fame, there is still a man quietly digging wells for the future – no need for spotlight, just a sip of cool water and a grateful heart.