Major League Baseball and Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig have named the Blue Jays as the 2012 recipient of the Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence, which was created in 2010 to annually recognize an extraordinary charitable and philanthropic effort of an MLB Club.

The Blue Jays are being honored for the “Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy,” a series of initiatives to help support youth across Canada and provide them with opportunities on and off the field of play.

The Jays Care Foundation, the official charity of the Blue Jays, will receive a $10,000 grant from MLB as part of this recognition.