We’re coming at you with an honorary Milwaukeean of the Week, our good friend Christian Yelich (we can dream, right?).
On the field, he’s captain (the Brewers first in franchise history), designated hitter, and a standout left fielder, off the field he’s an upstanding Milwaukeean, using his position to bring awareness to the missions of local organizations and giving back to the community he now calls home.
He’s originally from Thousand Oaks, California – where the cows are certainly not any happier than the ones here – but came to Milwaukee after getting traded by the Marlins in the 2017-2018 offseason.
Since becoming a part of the Milwaukee Brewers, he’s made a name for himself, securing National League and MLB titles like:
- 3x MLB All-Star
- 3x Silver Slugger Award winner
- 2x National League batting champion
- Gold Glove award (in 2014 with the Marlins)
- National League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 2018
Those are some pretty big accomplishments! As notable as his contributions to the Brewers, and the National League as a whole, have been, what he’s doing when he’s not wearing his uniform is just as important.
Here’s a look at a few of his big charitable initiatives.
Home Plate Charity Concert
The cornerstone of Yelich’s philanthropy. Yelich and his family host an annual Home Plate Charity Concert, supporting charitable organizations across the greater Milwaukee area like the Brewers Community Foundation and Visit Milwaukee’s foundation as well as national missions like the Live Like Lou Foundation.
The concert has raised more than $800,000 over the last four years, featuring live music, a silent auction, and a culinary experience. Charlie Berens along with musical acts like Jake Owens, Goo Goo Dolls, and Scotty McCreery have graced the stage at Yelich’s Charity Concert.
Brewers Community Foundation (BCF)
One of Yelich’s most consistent partners, the Brewers Community Foundation is the charitable arm of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Yelich has repeatedly directed concert funds and other giving through it. Since its inception in 2011, The Brewers and BCF have raised more than $60 million, which funds about 200 nonprofits every year. Their programs are centered on health, education, recreation and basic needs.
Visit Milwaukee / Visit Milwaukee Foundation
A core beneficiary of the Home Plate concerts year over year. Visit Milwaukee’s foundation provides scholarships to local youth studying the hospitality industry at Milwaukee-area colleges and universities.
Live Like Lou Foundation (ALS)
Funds from the Home Plate concerts benefit Live Like Lou, which supports families affected by ALS and funds research into curing Lou Gehrig’s Disease – a cause particularly close to Yelich’s heart because it was championed by our beloved Bob Uecker, who lost his daughter to ALS.
During the concert, Live Like Lou’s executive director took the stage to share the organization’s mission, and the organization also surprised a longtime Brewers fan with a custom Brewers-themed Permobil power wheelchair.
Beckum Stapleton Little League
In 2021, Yelich teamed up with American Family Insurance, Associated Bank, Nike, and the Brewers Community Foundation to upgrade the Beckum Stapleton Little League’s ballfields, repairing dugouts and replacing fencing to help provide a safe and affordable baseball for Milwaukee youth. Nike donated equipment and clothing as well.
At a glance: a few other notable contributions to the community.
Yelich partnered with Sargento Foods to challenge Brewers fans to join the fight against hunger in Wisconsin.
Yelich has been a consistent participant in the Brewers’ annual #KindnessInMKE day, where he and teammate Brice Turang greeted unsuspecting shoppers at Pick N’ Save, scanning their groceries and paying their bills.
Yelich surprised a six-year-old fan named Lola and her sister with an 11-week-old Miniature Goldendoodle after a sign she held at a game went viral, and the puppy was then trained as a diabetes alert dog for Lola.
Yelich joined Brewers teammates and others to launch the California Strong initiative (his home state), which grew into an annual celebrity softball game that raised more than $2.3 million for those in need.
The MLBPA’s Players Trust named Yelich its Most Valuable Philanthropist for August 2026, awarding a $10,000 grant split between Heartland Farm Sanctuary (Wisconsin’s first farm animal sanctuary, founded in 2009) and Snooty Giggles Dog Rescue, a Tennessee-based nonprofit that helps dogs find new homes.