Blue Jays outfielder Dalton Pompey turned 24 on Sunday, and spent his birthday like a good Canadian boy—walking around Toronto handing out Tim Hortons gift cards to the less fortunate. How Canadian is that?
According to Pompey’s Instagram post, the 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario, felt that rather than spending “a ton of money” on a birthday party like many athletes tend to do, it would be more meaningful to give that money to some of the people around his city who need it more.
Videos by VICE
“I have a lot to be thankful for in my life and there’s no better way for me to thank God for blessing me than trying to make someone else’s day,” Pompey writes. “There’s no better gift than the gift of kindness!”
Pompey also implies that he was inspired by DJ Romeo—a friend and DJ for some of the most famous athletes in the world—who shared a similar Instagram post last week saying that he gave away 100 Tim Hortons gift cards to homeless people in Toronto.
Pompey, who was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2010, has hit .222/.291/.385 in parts of three seasons in the majors, and is coming off a .270/.349/.353 line with 18 stolen bases at Triple-A Buffalo. The center fielder didn’t earn a call up to the Blue Jays until September and logged just two at-bats at the major league level last season, but as he notes, he still has a lot to be thankful for.
The switch-hitting Canadian native might get another opportunity to crack his hometown Blue Jays’ roster in spring training, and perhaps his speed and good karma (not to mention Toronto’s unsettled outfield situation), will be enough to earn him a spot.
