Key Takeaways
- loanDepot has hosted hundreds of guests from nearly 20 South Florida community organizations at loanDepot park since the start of the 2026 season.
- Honorees include at least seven youth baseball leagues, plus educators, veterans groups, nonprofits, and Special Olympics participants from across the region.
- loanDepot and the Miami Marlins Foundation donate $50 for every Marlins run scored at home to Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade.
- The run-based donation program is in its sixth year and funds baseball and softball teams in Liberty City through the Marlins’ Nike Jr. RBI little league program.
- loanDepot also presents Salute and Serve Days, offering complimentary tickets to military, first responders, and health care workers at select home games.
loanDepot, the naming rights partner of loanDepot park and the Miami Marlins’ Official Mortgage Provider, has turned its ballpark partnership into a community hosting platform in 2026. Since the season began, the lender has welcomed hundreds of guests from nearly 20 South Florida organizations to Marlins home games, with youth sports teams making up a substantial share of the invite list.
Youth Baseball Leagues Anchor the Guest List
The hosted groups span Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties and lean heavily toward grassroots baseball. Organizations welcomed so far include Howard Palmetto Baseball League, Cooper City Optimist 6U Red Marlins, Coral Springs American Tee Ball Little League, Youth Sports of Hollywood, Phipps Park Baseball League, West Pembroke Pines Optimist, and Doral Little League. Athletes and families from the Miami Marlins MLB Youth Academy were also hosted, along with Youth Academy coaches who participated in CPR training.
Guests received premium hospitality at the ballpark, including suite seating, food, and special experiences. Beyond youth sports, the program recognized Teachers of the Year from all three counties, Special Olympics, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, Overtown Youth Center, and veteran and military groups including Vets to Vets and U.S. Southern Command.
A Per-Run Donation Model in Its Sixth Year
The hosting program sits alongside a performance-based giving structure. loanDepot and the Miami Marlins Foundation donate $50 for every Marlins run scored at loanDepot park, with proceeds directed to Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. Now in its sixth year, the program has helped establish and maintain baseball and softball teams at the Northwest Club in Liberty City as part of the Marlins’ Nike Jr. RBI little league initiative.
This structure ties charitable output to on-field performance, a format that gives the sponsor a recurring storyline across the full 81-game home schedule rather than a single-event activation.
Naming Rights as a Community Platform
loanDepot Chief Growth Officer Nikul Patel said the company views giving back to its communities as a serious responsibility and described the ballpark as a home away from home for the brand. Marlins Chief Brand Officer Alex Parker said the team is proud to work with loanDepot to welcome youth athletes, educators, veterans, and community organizations and credited the partnership with creating lasting memories through baseball.
The company also presents the Marlins’ Salute and Serve Days, which honor active and retired military personnel, veterans, fire rescue personnel, police officers, and health care professionals with complimentary tickets to select home games throughout the season.
How Hospitality Inventory Becomes Sponsorship Currency
For youth sports operators, the model is worth noting. Naming rights deals are often evaluated on signage and media value, but loanDepot is using suite inventory and game-day hospitality as the activation layer, directing it toward local leagues, educators, and service organizations. For the seven-plus youth baseball programs hosted this season, the result is a no-cost premium experience that would otherwise be out of reach for most local leagues. For sponsors, it is a repeatable framework: pair a venue naming deal with structured community hosting and a performance-tied donation, and the partnership generates community touchpoints all season long.
Source: Business Wire, June 4, 2026
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