Seattle Children's hospital gets surge of donations from Blue Jays fans

Sophia Vesely, The Seattle Times on Oct 29, 2025

Published in Baseball

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SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners fans can still feel the sting of the Toronto Blue Jays’ comeback win in Game 7 of the ALCS last week. While Seattleites grieve the end of their team’s most successful postseason run ever and put dreams of a World Series debut to bed, it’s not all bad news for the Emerald City.

Approximately 250 Blue Jays fans have donated nearly $10,000 to the Seattle Children’s hospital since the Oct. 20 game, a form of congratulations to the Mariners on a successful season and an expression of gratitude for a well-played series.

“Every donation to Children’s fuels our mission and is truly appreciated,” a spokesperson for the hospital said. “Children’s is grateful to Blue Jays fans for their generosity. Moments like this highlight that we can all cheer for kids.”

The Blue Jays overcame a 3-1 deficit with George Springer’s three-run homer in the seventh inning to clinch their first World Series berth since 1993.

Toronto’s wave of generosity began with Reddit user “brownmagician,” a moderator of the Blue Jays fan subreddit, a community with more than 600,000 followers. The user posted the receipt of a $25 donation to Children’s after the game, which included the statement: “GOOD SERIES SEATTLE MARINERS. FROM A TORONTO BLUE JAYS FAN. SHOULD’VE USED [Andres] MUNOZ INSTEAD OF [Eduard Bazardo].”

The Reddit post received 1,500 upvotes and sparked a chain of comments featuring similar donation receipts.

“Congratulations to the Seattle Mariners for making it this far in the ALCS, it was a tough fight,” 21-year-old fan, Gordon, wrote in a $100 donation. “Thanks Seattle — both to the team, as well as [for] being my favorite home away from home. Much love from a Jays Fan, Canadian, and (former) Seattleite.”

Gordon later said in a statement to the Seattle Times: “As competitive as the series was, … it was a way to show love and support for everyone, regardless of any sort of rivalry. In terms of sports in general, I think it shows how we can all come together and help one another out, no matter what side we’re on.”

Another fan wrote alongside a $70 donation: “From a long time Blue Jays fan. Congratulations on an amazing series. Well played. It easily could have gone either way. Mariners are a force to be reckoned with. Everyone wins when the outcome adds much needed donations to a children’s hospital. We will see you next year in the playoffs.”

Mariners fans joined the comments to give appreciation and share stories of family members who were treated at Children’s.

“M’s fan here … wow, this is such a fabulous way to celebrate your hard-fought win,” one user wrote. “I’m a cancer mom whose 12-year-old survivor was treated at Seattle Children’s.”

A couple even returned the favor, sending donations to the SickKids Foundation in Toronto.

Making donations to an opposing team’s charity is an act best linked to the Buffalo Bills, a team not far south of the Blue Jays. In 2018, Bills fans donated more than $100,000 to quarterback Andy Dalton’s charitable organization after his win with the Cincinnati Bengals clinched a Buffalo playoff berth for the first time in 17 years.

Perhaps now this will become a tradition.

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