Paul Skenes donating $100 to Gary Sinise Foundation for every strikeout he throws

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has only started one game in the majors, but he’s already pledged to donate money for every strikeout he records.

Skenes was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft to Pittsburgh and has risen up the ranks with great speed, and got the call up from triple-A to the major league this past week, not even a year after he was drafted.

In his first performance, Skenes gave fans a roller coaster ride, going just four innings while giving up three runs and six hits. However, he also struck out seven guys and threw the ball with more consistent velocity than any other MLB pitcher this season.

Those seven strikeouts are good news for a certain charitable cause, as the MLB tweeted out Saturday that Skenes plans to donate $100 to the Gary Sinise Foundation for each strikeout he records. Here was that tweet:

“Paul Skenes is donating $100 to the Gary Sinise Foundation for every strikeout he records this season. The money will go directly toward raising funds for veterans and first responders.”

A very cool move by the former LSU star and current Pirate pitcher donating to a worthy cause with every K he records. As for the foundation, its website provides the following mission statement:

“At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.”

There’s actually a neat story behind the Gary Sinise Foundation, tying back to the beloved 1994 movie Forrest Gump. For those who don’t know, Sinise is a longtime actor who made his name portraying the famous Lieutenant Dan Taylor character in Forrest Gump, and it was his role as a military officer and wounded veteran in that movie which helped lead him down the path of helping out veterans.

A website called SOFREP (Special Operations Forces Report) wrote an article detailing Sinise’s work with veterans and noted he “worked for the Disabled Americans Veterans organization after his work in the movie, Forrest Gump, being inspired by the film.” And that’s something he still does.

Throughout this current MLB season, Paul Skenes has chosen to contribute to the Sinise Foundation as well and is set to give $700 dollars to the organization after his impressive seven-strikeout debut on Saturday.