To Mark Its Bicentennial, KeyBank Donates $200,000 to Cleveland Guardians Charities to Support Youth Sports Initiative
Funding supports the Guardians RBI Program, which encourages academic achievement and youth sports participation in the Cleveland Municipal School District
CLEVELAND, April 14, 2025 /3BL/ – As part of its bicentennial celebration, KeyBank is donating $200,000 to Cleveland Guardians Charities. KeyCorp Chairman and CEO Chris Gorman presented the donation from the KeyBank Foundation to Cleveland Guardians Owner, Chairman and CEO Paul Dolan during “KeyBank Bicentennial Night” on April 12th at Progressive Field.
This donation was made the night of April 12th, the actual date that KeyBank was founded 200 years ago in 1825 in Albany, New York. Since that time, Key has grown into one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies. Funds will support the Guardians’ Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities or, RBI, Program. This initiative, led by Major League Baseball, is designed to encourage academic achievement and youth sports participation, and increase the number of talented athletes to play in college and professionally.
“As we celebrate our bicentennial, we are excited and proud to partner with the Cleveland Guardians to support our youth and help them grow in the classroom and on the field,” said Gorman. “KeyBank is Cleveland’s hometown bank and this gift recognizes the pivotal role this city has in our history and that yesterday, today, and tomorrow, KeyBank will be here to help our clients, our colleagues, and our communities thrive.”
“We are extremely grateful for KeyBank’s support of Cleveland Guardians Charities and our RBI Program,” said Director, Community Impact Penny Forster. “We know the powerful life lessons and opportunities the Cleveland RBI program provides our participants, and we look forward to the positive impact these youth will have in our community and our game as young adults.”
Guardians RBI rosters are constructed with primarily Cleveland Metropolitan School District & Play Ball! CLE student athletes, who through the Say Yes to Education grant program have the ability to attend their choice of 100+ private colleges and universities in Ohio and across the country for free.
As part of “KeyBank Bicentennial Night” festivities, Gorman threw out the first pitch before the Guardians game against the Kansas City Royals. More than 1,000 KeyBank teammates also attended the game.
ABOUT KEYCORP
In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187 billion at December 31, 2024.
Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.
ABOUT CLEVELAND GUARDIANS CHARITIES
Cleveland Guardians Charities (CGC) is the private foundation of the Cleveland Guardians. CGC raises money though programs, events and player contributions to support many CGC beneficiaries, including the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the City of Cleveland Recreation Department youth baseball and softball programs, Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland and many other community organizations and nonprofits.
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