This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The rain fell steadily on Nov. 15 in Sarasota, Fla., a place that frequently has sunny skies to go with its warm temperatures this time of year. Nonetheless, lines of cars filled the parking lots at Ed Smith Stadium, where the Orioles held their annual turkey distribution drive.

The weather couldn’t keep away the people who signed up to receive Thanksgiving meals, as more than 725 families received food at the event. The rain also didn’t keep away Brian Roberts, a former Baltimore second baseman who now serves as one of the club’s community ambassadors.

“It’s great to be able to give back to our community,” Roberts said. “I live here full-time. Obviously, the Orioles have a large presence during Spring Training and throughout the rest of the year here in Sarasota. So to be able to give back to the community that has supported the Orioles so well over the last 13 years or so, since we moved here for Spring Training, it’s a wonderful opportunity.”

Since 2014, the O’s have partnered with All Faiths Food Bank -- the only food bank for Sarasota and DeSoto Counties -- to help families in need. Last year, the non-profit organization donated 13,000 turkeys and side dishes at various locations, with a significant portion of those meals being handed out at the Orioles’ annual November event.

The club and All Faiths Food Bank work together to help the Sarasota community throughout the year. Earlier in 2023, they held a baseball clinic for Girls, Inc. and the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota. They also hosted an annual health-and-fitness program at Sarasota County middle schools and honored community members through the Birdland Community Heroes program.

The partnership also features the turkey distribution drive, where many members of Baltimore’s organization come out to volunteer. Among this year’s participants was Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, who lives in Florida during the offseason and was named the 2023 American League Manager of the Year the night prior to the event.

This wasn’t Roberts’ first time volunteering at the event. He has helped hand out Thanksgiving meals at the turkey distribution drive for several years, and he has been an O’s community ambassador since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roberts, who played 13 of his 14 big league seasons for the Orioles, from 2001-13, frequently did volunteer work in both Baltimore and Sarasota during his playing career. He always knew he would continue upon his retirement, which came after his lone season with the Yankees in '14.

When the O’s created the role of community ambassador -- a position held by other former players such as Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, 1983 World Series MVP Rick Dempsey and Boog Powell -- Roberts knew it was a great chance to continue to give back.

“When the Orioles came to me with that opportunity to do it together, yeah, of course, it was just a natural fit,” the 46-year-old Roberts said. “I’m grateful for that opportunity to not only do it on my own, but certainly then to partner with the Orioles and be able to impact a lot of different organizations within the community here in Sarasota, as well as Baltimore.”

That includes working with All Faiths Food Bank for the annual turkey distribution drive, at which Roberts will likely continue to volunteer in future years.

“To use Ed Smith Stadium, use the team -- a lot of coaches and staff and community ambassadors and all sorts of people come out and really try to give back to our community,” Roberts said. “It’s such a great opportunity.”