Project Béisbol began in 2008 with a straightforward idea: A young person’s opportunity to discover what baseball can offer should not depend on whether that child can afford a glove, find a playable field or live in a community with organized instruction.
What started as an equipment-donation effort has developed into a comprehensive, community-driven organization that has reached thousands of young baseball and softball players across Latin America. At the center of that growth is Project Béisbol founder Justin Halladay, a 1995 Malvern Prep graduate who believes the absence of resources should never be allowed to limit a child’s potential.
“I founded Project Béisbol in 2008 with a couple of friends of mine,” Halladay said. “I had everything I needed and got as far as I could playing the game. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases in Latin America, the kids don’t have those resources. Frankly, I feel that’s a waste of human potential. Everybody deserves the right to explore their potential in any aspect of life, including sports.”
Halladay, whose international experiences included studying in Spain and Cuba, built Project Béisbol around more than equipment and instruction. He saw baseball as a common language capable of connecting people across borders, cultures and political divisions.
“It’s a way to connect us with some of the countries in Latin America where sometimes our governments don’t align perfectly,” he said. “But it’s a good way to connect people.”
Since its founding, Project Béisbol has supported more than 20,000 baseball and softball players through 249 programs in eight countries: Nicaragua, Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Colombia. The organization also has established partnerships and fundraising efforts in the United States.
Its reach has been strengthened by a network of ambassadors and more than 30 current and former Major League players. That group includes former Phillies infielder Desi Relaford, who serves as a field ambassador in the United States and Colombia, and 14-year major-league veteran Jed Lowrie, Project Béisbol’s board vice chair and the recipient of its 2026 Impact Award.
“Jed has been immensely supportive of our organization and kids in Latin America for years,” Halladay said.
One of Project Béisbol’s most significant initiatives is its Baseball Integration Program in Colombia, where the organization has used baseball and softball to help Venezuelan refugees establish connections within their new communities.
“We have been addressing the ongoing economic and political crisis in Venezuela for nearly 10 years in Colombia through our integration program,” Halladay said. “This program helps Venezuelan refugees integrate into their new community through the sport they love — baseball. It includes all elements of our mission, plus workshops to address social conflict and xenophobia. Through sport, social and cultural barriers are broken and the sport can thrive.”
The program brings Colombian and Venezuelan children together in an environment where cooperation and competition can replace suspicion and division. The game becomes more than recreation. It becomes a way to create trust, build relationships and give displaced young people a sense of belonging.
The passion for baseball across the region has never been difficult to find. Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela have produced generations of accomplished players, including Édgar Rentería, Orlando Cabrera and José Quintana. The problem is that the facilities available to many children bear little resemblance to the manicured fields seen on television.
Some are dirt lots surrounded by rusted fences. Dugouts may be partially constructed or nonexistent. Backstops have openings large enough for baseballs to pass through, and players sometimes wait for their turn at bat while sitting on cinder blocks.
Halladay recalled the journey to one remote field in Colombia.
“Communities are sometimes remote and you have to cross the river on a rickety boat that’s kept from drifting by a single line,” he said. “You walk up a hill, through a town, and get to a field where the fences are 50% dilapidated, rusty, and the whole field is dirt — even the outfield. The backstop has holes in it. The dugout is basically non-existent and the kids are sitting on cinder blocks. The bleachers are small, but usually full with parents cheering.”
The description captures the contradiction that drives Project Béisbol’s work. The infrastructure may be deteriorating, but the enthusiasm is not. Parents still fill the bleachers. Children still arrive ready to play. Communities still gather around the game, even when the field offers little more than dirt, a damaged fence and enough open space to compete.
Project Béisbol wants to protect that passion while building a stronger community of supporters in the United States.
The organization will host its All-Star Bash on Sunday, July 12, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Anthony’s at Paxon Hollow Country Club in Media. The event will include food, drinks, a silent auction, special recognitions and stories highlighting Project Béisbol’s work across the hemisphere. Lowrie will be presented with the organization’s 2026 Impact Award during the event.
Halladay acknowledged that while the mission has always come first, expanding the organization’s reach will require a greater emphasis on fundraising and community building.
“It hasn’t been our priority — the fundraising side,” he said. “We’ve been focused on perfecting the mission and making the biggest impact possible. Now we’re turning the page and putting more energy into building our community.”
That community includes the Philadelphia region, where Halladay has maintained a strong relationship with Malvern Prep and encouraged local schools, businesses, families and baseball organizations to become involved.
“We are very grateful for our relationship with Malvern Prep and the Philadelphia community,” he said. “There are a number of ways to get involved locally, including equipment drives, volunteering, providing in-kind services, donations and sponsorships, high school clubs, and international exchanges.”
Project Béisbol has also been examining ways to assist communities affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. The organization is directing supporters toward vetted humanitarian groups involved in the immediate relief effort while considering how baseball could become part of the longer-term recovery.
“Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by this devastating disaster,” Halladay said. “Throughout the All-Star Bash, we are directing volunteers, supporters, and donors to vetted humanitarian organizations providing emergency assistance on the ground. Looking ahead, we are exploring the possibility of organizing a Project Béisbol mission to the affected communities once the immediate response has stabilized and it is appropriate and safe to do so.
“Our hope is to provide encouragement, hope, and moments of joy through baseball while supporting the long-term recovery of children and families impacted by this tragedy.”
Project Béisbol’s ambitions are not measured solely by whether one of its programs helps uncover the next Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto or Julio Rodríguez. Most of the children it serves will never reach the major leagues. That is not the standard by which the organization measures its impact.
The larger goal is to give young people a place to play, an opportunity to grow and a community in which they feel they belong. Baseball is the vehicle, but leadership, education, cultural exchange and personal development are part of the destination.
Still, Halladay understands the influence that major-league players can have when they lend their names, time and experiences to that mission.
“As our organization continues to grow, we are always looking to engage additional current and former MLB players who share our passion for creating opportunities for youth,” he said. “Their involvement helps expand our reach, amplify our mission, and create an even greater impact across Latin America.”
That is the idea Halladay began with in 2008: Human potential should not be wasted because a child lacks a glove, a safe field or the resources necessary to play.
Eighteen years later, Project Béisbol is still working to ensure that a rusted fence, a dirt outfield or a cinder-block dugout does not determine how far a young person can go.
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