Thome and his wife, Andrea, have two children, Lila Grace and Landon. He has also established funds to put his 10 nieces and nephews through college. During the offseason he lives in Burr Ridge, Illinois. ESPN's SportsCenter reported that shortly after his nephew, Brandon, was paralyzed in an accident, he asked Thome to hit a home run for him; Thome obliged, hitting two in the subsequent game. Thome is also a philanthropist and provided help to the communities surrounding the teams for which he played. In recognition of his community involvement, he was given the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award in 2001 and 2004, and the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 2004. In 2013, after the November 17, 2013, tornado outbreak struck Washington, Illinois, just from his hometown, he and his wife pledged to donate $100,000 to relief efforts. Among the philanthropic endeavors Thome and his wife heavily support are Children's Home + Aid, which strives to help underprivileged children predominantly with finding care (e.g., foster care, adoption, etc.), and an annual benefit to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Illinois, continuing a tradition his mother started years ago. Moreover, the Thomes try "to stay connected with at least one or two organizations in each of the cities" that Thome has played. In 2019, a renovated youth baseball field in Cleveland was named the 'Jim Thome All-Star Complex' in his honor. See also List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders List of Major League Baseball career runs-batted-in leaders List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls leaders List of Major League Baseball home run records List of Major League Baseball progressive career home runs leaders References External links Jim Thome at SABR (Baseball BioProject) Jim Thome at Baseball Almanac Jim Thome at Baseball Biography 1970 births Living people American League All-Stars Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Chicago Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Burlington Indians players (1986–2006) Canton-Akron Indians players Charlotte Knights players Chicago White Sox players Clearwater Threshers players Cleveland Indians players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Gulf Coast Indians players Illinois Central Cougars baseball players Illinois Central Cougars men's basketball players International League MVP award winners Kinston Indians players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball designated hitters Major League Baseball first basemen Major League