Shortly after arriving in Texas, Jake Burger changed his uniform number to 21 in honor of his daughter, Penelope, who was born with Down syndrome in October 2024.
In March 2025, the Burgers established The Burger Family Foundation to support and celebrate families like their own through direct financial assistance, employment opportunities, community engagement and the healing power of ranch life. Jake is currently the only active Major League player raising a child with Down syndrome, and he has used his platform to create meaningful change and representation for the disabled community.
The foundation’s financial assistance program, Pens Pearls, provides direct support to families navigating the unique joys and challenges of raising disabled children. The program has already distributed more than $40,000 directly to families in need of various specialized therapy services.
The Burgers also recently launched the first phase of their flagship initiative, Lucky Ranch, a multi-acre facility located in Nashville, Tennessee, designed to create employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. The ranch currently houses more than 1,000 poultry chickens cared for by disabled adults, with plans to expand those duties soon. Additionally, the foundation has secured partnerships with several Nashville businesses to help fund wages for employees with disabilities.
For a second consecutive season, the Burgers hosted Down Syndrome Awareness Day at Globe Life Field. The inaugural celebration in 2025 welcomed more than 1,650 fans through a specialty ticket offer and featured custom commemorative caps. Jake’s daughter’s godfather, Cameron, a close family friend with Down syndrome, threw a ceremonial first pitch, which Jake received behind home plate. In partnership with the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, the event generated more than $15,000 for local Down syndrome organizations and family assistance programs through Pens Pearls. The Burger Family Foundation also raised more than $29,000 through merchandise sales connected to the event.
In its first year alone, The Burger Family Foundation raised more than $150,000 through its ‘Down syndrome is cool’ merchandise initiative. The collection of apparel and accessories serves as a platform for advocacy, creating opportunities to start conversations about Down syndrome while promoting a culture of inclusion and acceptance.
Last November, the foundation hosted ‘The Lucky Classic presented by BRUCE BOLT’, a celebrity softball game and home run derby in Nashville that raised more than $250,000 to support its mission of empowering families through financial assistance and community programming. The event drew participation from several Major League standouts, including Bryce Harper, Brent Rooker and Vinnie Pasquantino, further amplifying awareness for the foundation’s cause.
Jake’s commitment extends well beyond fundraising. During his two seasons with Texas, he has visited several GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center locations across the country, often inspiring teammates and fellow Major Leaguers to join him. That support was evident on May 29, when Jake and Ashlyn hosted a fundraising event at Miracle League Doug Inman Field to help bring a GiGi’s Playhouse to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with Rangers stars Corey Seager and Jacob deGrom among those in attendance.
Aside from their efforts through The Burger Family Foundation, the Burgers have also invested directly in the local Dallas-Fort Worth community. Beginning this season, they hosted and underwrote seven food distributions at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy in West Dallas, providing approximately $30,000 in fresh produce and shelf-stable goods to Academy athletes and their families.
Through service, advocacy and personal leadership, Jake Burger has become a transformative voice for the disabled community. By using his platform to promote inclusion, create opportunities and support families facing challenges like his own, he has made a lasting impact both within Major League Baseball and far beyond the game.
