Meet the Fan-ily: Volunteer Extraordinaire Dawn

It's got diversity, it's got love, it's got companionship, it's got support, it's got everything you could want in a ballpark.

We’re kicking off our series getting to better know the Ballers’ fan-ily, those people sitting in the seats next to you. We’ll talk to exceptional fans who care and make a difference and make this fanbase one-of-a-kind.

I met Dawn Pieper at my second Ballunteer event, where fans gather to do good work around the Town. Immediately, I was drawn to her warmth, kindness and wit, her devotion to the Ballers and Oakland, her sense of humor, and her hatred of mayo. She’s an absolute pillar of our community, and I am proud to call her a friend and grateful that she will speak to me in public.

You're a big Ballers fan. How many games have you been to this year?

This year, I've been to 28 out of 29 games so far.

What's the one that you missed?

The one that I missed is I had to fly down to Anaheim so I could go see the Savannah Bananas.

And the Savannah Bananas: better or worse than the Ballers?

Nobody's as good as the Ballers.

What got you interested the Ballers in the first place?

I love the fact that the Ballers are rooted in Oakland, that they are providing an opportunity for us to see sports when we lost our Oakland Athletics.

You've been recognized by the team twice now for your exceptional volunteering in the Ballunteer program. We, in fact, met at a volunteer event. Can you tell me a little bit about this program and why you're a part of it?

Yes. One of my deep passions is volunteering in my community. I've lived in Oakland for more than 30 years. I've been a volunteer at Oakland Animal Services, our local shelter, for 14 years. And when I saw the opportunity that the Ballers General Manager [Laura Geist] presented to help out in our community, I wanted to give back. So that's actually where you and I met at, the Community Kitchens on Telegraph.

Tell us what kinds of things volunteers do?

So what we do—we help with food prep for the Community Kitchens to help low-income people have food. We have done cleanup at Raimondi Park. I did cleanup at the Oakland Zoo… If I remember correctly, you were not there.

Just for the record, I was in a cage there. I was caged and not able to clean anything other than my cage.

We also did a cleanup at church down in West Oakland. We cleaned out trailers for unhoused people, and we handed out food to low-income people.

I didn't know anybody when I volunteered for the first time. What would you say for somebody who's maybe thinking about it, wants to take that plunge?

Do it. Absolutely do it. You won't regret it. It's very warm and welcoming and open, and Laura, who runs the volunteer program, just provides that very warm energy, and she makes you feel welcome. You may not know a single person, but by the end of your volunteer shift, you'll know all of them.

 What are your favorite parts about being here Raimondi?

Oh, I love West Oakland. I love that you can drive 10 to 15 minutes and be at this beautiful ballpark. They worked very hard on this field and very fast to get this done last year. It's got diversity, it's got love, it's got companionship, it's got support, it's got everything you could want in a ballpark. And when you come here, you see a winning team, you see camaraderie, you see chemistry within the team.

I love Scrappy, our mascot. Best mascot ever, exclamation point, period. So much fun with the adults and the kids. And then you've got Ice Cold Kenny Bo, the best vendor in the business—open arms, happy to serve you anything as cold as you would like it.

And just the community. It's the vibes. It is such a chill vibe; it is open, it is warm and you will meet many, many people along the way.

You’re a superfan; you’ve been to all but one game. What would you give as advice to people who haven't been to their first game, or are planning on it? What would you say?

All you have to do is show up, and the rest will happen organically. People sitting around you, you'll be high fiving, you'll be shaking hands, you'll be introducing yourself. You might happen to see your neighbor one section over. You might run into one of your co-workers, you might run into somebody who lives down the street from you. You just never know who you're going to run into.

What's one hope that you have for the volunteer program, the Ballers, West Oakland? One hope that you have for the rest of this season?

I hope that more and more people decide to volunteer with the Ballers. I hope that they have more opportunities. They've had quite a few, but I hope that there's more. I hope that the program expands and it goes deeper into the Oakland community because, in the end, we all need to support our city.

That other cause close to Dawn’s heart, Oakland Animal Services, has an easy-to-donate link here.

If you know someone—including yourself, no false modesty here—who should be recognized, let me know!