KAF Announces New Balance Donation from MLB Infielders Ha-Seong Kim
메이저리거 김하성 선수가 미주 지역 한인 청소년들을 위해 대량의 스포츠용품을 기부했다.
한인 커뮤니티 재단인 KAF(Korean American Foundation, 이사장 존 임)는 “김하성 선수가 한인 청소년들을 돕기 위해 KAF 에 1 만 달러 상당의 스포츠 용품을 기부했다”고 3 일 밝혔다.
이렇게 전달된 스포츠 용품은 KYCC(한인청소년회관), KFAM(한인가정상담소)를 통해 한인 청소년들에게 전달되게 된다.
김하성 선수는 “나도 힘든 상황을 겪을 때 주변의 도움을 통해서 이만큼 성장할 수 있었다”며 “나의 조그만 도움이 한인 청소년들에게 좋은 동기 부여가 됐으면 하는 바램”이라고 기부 이유를 밝혔다.
존 임 이사장은 “김하성 선수는 세계에서도 경쟁이 가장 치열한 메이저리그에서 한국인을 대표하는 선수”라며 “이 같은 선수의 후원은 한인 청소년들에게 많은 자긍심을 심어줄 것이다. 그의 한인 커뮤니티에 대한 관심에 깊은 감사를 표한다”고 전했다.
샌디에이고 파드리스, 애틀랜타 브레이브스 등에서 뛰어난 활약을 펼치며 메이저리그 정상급 내야수로 자리매김한 김하성 선수는 경기장 밖에서도 선한 영향력을 전파하고 있다.
김하성 선수는 이전에도 모교에 2 만 달러 상당의 야구 용품을 기부하는 등 국내외 소외계층 및 청소년 야구 선수들을 위해 꾸준히 기부 활동을 이어오고 있는 것으로 알려졌다.
Korean American Foundation Announces New Balance Donation from MLB Infielder Ha-Seong Kim Supporting Korean American Youth in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, CA – Korean American Foundation (KAF) announced today an in-kind donation from Ha-Seong Kim, Major League Baseball infielder, made in partnership with New Balance. Kim provided $10,000 in brand-new athletic apparel to benefit youth served by KAF grantee organizations in Los Angeles.
Kim’s contribution reflects the increasing visibility of Korean athletes in American sports and illustrates how personal achievement can translate into meaningful support for the Korean American community.
“I’ve been fortunate to receive support throughout my career, and I want young people in our community to feel that same encouragement,” said Ha-Seong Kim.
“Ha-Seong Kim represents a generation of Asians in U.S. sports who understands the impact their visibility can have,” said John Lim, Chairman of KAF. “His support tells young people that they matter, and that their community stands behind them.”
Apparel Distributed Through Trusted Community Partners
As a trusted steward of charitable funds for the Korean American community in Southern California, KAF provides grants and directs resources to vetted organizations with proven community impact. KAF selected the following partners to ensure Kim’s donation reaches youth who will benefit most:
Korean American Family Services (KFAM)
KFAM provides culturally responsive mental health, gender-based violence intervention, and child welfare services for Korean and API families. The apparel will be gifted at KFAM’s holiday gathering for child welfare youth and foster children in the Asian Adoption and Foster Family Initiative (AFFI) – the nation’s only API-focused foster and adoption agency.
Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC)
KYCC is the leading multi-service organization in Koreatown, offering education, mental health services, youth programming, and housing support. The apparel will be distributed through KYCC’s Clinical Services, Youth Services, and related programs throughout the holiday season.
Part of a Collective Giving Movement
Kim’s donation comes at a time of growing investment by Korean Americans in community-centered philanthropy. Now entering its eighth year, KAF continues to strengthen the infrastructure that enables community members to contribute together toward shared priorities. In 2025 alone, KAF distributed more than $1 million in grants, underscoring the measurable outcomes that collective giving makes possible.
When individuals give through KAF:
● Their contribution multiplies through collective giving
● Their impact supports multiple trusted nonprofits
● Their generosity stays rooted in the local community we share
“Each contribution becomes part of a broader effort to build a stronger, more connected community,” Lim said. “Ha-Seong Kim’s gift is a reminder that cultural identity and shared responsibility can reinforce one another in powerful ways.”
About Korean American Foundation (KAF)
Founded in 2018, Korean American Foundation (KAF) is the first community foundation dedicated to raising and stewarding charitable funds for the Korean American community in Southern California. With transparency, integrity, and efficiency as our guiding principles, KAF fosters a culture of philanthropy, mobilizes resources, and distributes grants to thoroughly vetted organizations with a proven record of real-world impact. Since 2020, KAF has awarded more than $2.6 million in grants to over 50 nonprofit organizations.
To learn more or to support KAF’s mission, visit: KoreanAmericanFoundation.org
About Ha-Seong Kim
Ha-Seong Kim is a professional baseball infielder born in Bucheon, South Korea. He began his career in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before signing with Major League Baseball in 2020. Kim made his MLB debut in April 2021 and has since become one of the few Korean-born position players competing at the highest level of U.S. professional baseball. In 2023, Kim became the first South Korean–and first Asian infielder to win a MLB Gold Glove Award, recognized for defensive excellence over the course of the season. Learn more at: www.mlb.com/player/ha-seong-kim-673490
