Lotte announced on December 12 that Shota Suzuki pitcher visited Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital on December 11 as part of the "Social Contribution Activity MARINES LINKS.

"MARINES LINKS" is a social contribution project in which the The Marines team, together with partner companies, supports social contribution activities led by Marines players. The name "MARINES LINKS" reflects the desire to "LINK" (meaning to connect) all people related to Chiba Lotte Marines including The Marines players, fans, local residents, government agencies, and partner companies.

Starting in the 2025 season, Suzuki will begin making donations based on his performance, donating 50,000 yen for each save or home run to the Certified NPO National Network for Supporting Children with Serious Illnesses, and this season he will donate 1 million yen (5 saves, 15 home runs).

In addition, this time, as part of this initiative, we visited the hospital where the pediatric ward is located. They visited the children who were recuperating, interacted with them through baseball, presented signed baseball caps, and took commemorative photos. At the end of the ceremony, the children handed pitcher Suzuki a necklace made of red and green origami and a message board that read, "Thank you for today, Merry Christmas."

▼ Shota Suzuki

"I came here today hoping to bring some cheer to the children, but in reality, I received a lot more energy from them. Each and every one of their joyful smiles was truly impressive, and it encouraged me. This year was a disappointing season, but next season I want to perform well enough to make up for that disappointment and show the children I met today that I'm doing my best. I want to continue supporting and engaging in various activities through baseball."