The Athletics reliever and his girlfriend hosted 17 Syrian refugee families for a Thanksgiving meal in Chicago on Wednesday night. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel also attended.
PHOTOS: Paris terror attacks, the aftermath | Sports world recognizing tragedy
“Chicago is so lucky to have 17 Syrian refugee families now officially calling it home,” Eireann Dolan, Doolittle’s girlfriend, wrote on Instagram. “We thought we’d officially welcome them with one of our greatest American traditions, Thanksgiving. Thank you to Mayor Emanuel and Alderman Burke for joining the party! If you’d like to sponsor a refugee family in Chicago, link is in my bio #refugeeswelcome.”
Syrian citizens have been fleeing the country for months, but the story has gained steam in the United States over the last few weeks following the Paris terror attacks, when one of the attackers snuck into France with a group of refugees. A handful of U.S. states have said they will not be accepting any Syrian refugees. Here’s a full list of those states.
Doolittle has been with the A’s organization since being selected in the first round of the 2007 draft out of Virginia. He’s been an effective reliever since making his debut in 2012, though injuries derailed his 2015 season after he took over as the team’s closer in 2014.
Doolittle also keeps a spare burrito in his car in case of traffic. Tell me you don’t want Sean Doolittle to be your uncle/dad/neighbor/cousin/brother/best friend.
