TAIPEI (TVBS News) — EasyCard Corporation (悠遊卡公司) announced Tuesday (Jan. 14) that it will donate over NT$7.5 million, generated from sales of the "2024 3rd WBSC Premier12 Championship Commemorative EasyCard," to three organizations promoting baseball in Indigenous communities. Taiwan's victory in last year's WBSC Premier12 tournament boosted sales of the commemorative card, prompting the donation.
The donation ceremony took place earlier that day, featuring indigenous baseball players Pan Kai-chieh (潘傑楷) and Lin Li (林立). Lin expressed gratitude for appearing on the EasyCard and expressed hope the company would issue more similar cards, allowing more people to purchase them. Lin shared an anecdote about children at a youth baseball event asking for his gloves, expressing a desire to give back to young players with more resources.
Lin commented on the possibility of the championship team appearing on an NT$500 banknote. He acknowledged the historical significance of the current design, jokingly suggesting a change to a NT$1,000 or NT$100 bill. Lin noted that the championship shifted public perception of him from being associated with the Rakuten Monkeys (樂天桃猿) to the Premier12 team. He hopes this enthusiasm continues into the regular season and urged ongoing support for Taiwanese baseball.
