The Blue Jays’ run to the World Series has been a bright spot this fall, bringing people together across the country. It’s offered a moment of celebration, a welcome distraction, and something to rally around.
People love an underdog story.
Climbing from the bottom of their division to take on the reigning champs, the Jays gave us one.
For die-hard fans, it’s thrilling.
For many others, it’s contagious.
A 22-year-old rookie out-pitching the Dodgers’ all-star lineup? Record-breaking performances? It’s the kind of energy that pulls people in, makes them care, makes them hope.
With this team, it’s more than stats — it’s chemistry.
Their camaraderie is what makes them powerful. People can see and feel it. We’re drawn to connection, unity, and belonging.
Sports have always had the power to create connection beyond geography, income, or background. We see it whenever a Toronto team has a big season — strangers high-fiving in the streets, flags waving from balconies, city lights glowing blue or red. There’s a shared joy, a shared story.
But here’s the thing: the underdogs of society aren’t being celebrated, supported, and cheered on in the same way.
In the midst of a housing crisis, deepening inequality, political division, and a culture that measures worth in dollars, belonging is hard to access.
Community has a price tag.
Belonging is bought.
And for many, the cost is out of reach.
In our work, we celebrate the underdogs and offer a reminder that worth isn’t earned by wealth, and that hope, celebration, and belonging should never be out of reach.
As we cheer for the Jays, we also ask deeper questions:
How do we reclaim belonging in a world where connection is commodified? How do we amplify the stories that don’t get airtime?
As we celebrate the underdogs, on and off the field, we strive to be “the hand of God in the heart of the city.”
Happy Halloween, Happy Friday, & Let’s Go Blue Jays!
Erin
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