Nelson Cruz buys firetruck, donates it to his hometown in the Dominican Republic

The town of San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic lacks adequate public safety equipment for it’s more than 240,000 residents. Fortunately for the people in the town, one of their own is a Major League Baseball player with a big heart.

According to the Star-Telegram, Ranger slugger Nelson Cruz recently purchased an all-terrain vehicle that he will be donating to his hometown to boost their public safety resources. San Francisco de Macoris has very few ambulances and no rugged pumper truck for their fire department, which inspired Cruz to make the donation.

“In my hometown we don’t have ambulances or firetrucks, so I decided to buy one,” Cruz explained. “It was yellow, so we had to paint it red.”

The American Medical Response, which provides ambulance service in Arlington, has also decided to help the cause by donating two ambulances. The dealership in Minnesota where Cruz is purchasing the firetruck from is also sending along hand tools, hoses and nozzles.

“It was definitely something to help the community there,” Cruz said. “I’ve heard that people who have an accident or have something happen have to go to another town. The hospital in my hometown isn’t very big, so they have to go an hour away to get to the hospital. Some people die sometimes because they don’t have transportation.”

The fact that Cruz’s town doesn’t have enough equipment to tend to emergencies is truly a shame, and it’s great that he has decided to use his good fortune to help save lives. The Rangers are also paying to have the vehicles shipped to the Dominican Republic, so thanks to Cruz’s generosity a number of people have gotten involved for a great cause.

H/T Hardball Talk