Helping Visually Impaired Youths Among Ways Tampa Bay Pitcher Ryan Pepiot Enjoys Giving Back

Like virtually every other kid coming home from school, Ryan Pepiot wanted to race into the house, drop off his books, and race back outside to play. It didn’t quite happen that way, though, for Pepiot. Emulating Ken Griffey, Jr.’s swing in the backyard would have to wait until he cracked those books.

“Since my mom was a teacher, it was, ‘When you get home, it is homework first and then you can go outside and play,’” recalled the Rays pitcher in speaking of Christine, who continues to serve as an elementary school and special education teacher in Westfield, Ind., about 30 miles north of Indianapolis. “Of course, all I wanted to do was go out and play. I made sure to knock out the homework.”

After Pepiot was traded to the Rays from the Dodgers in December 2023 in a deal that sent Tyler Glasnow to L.A., he and his wife, Lilia, learned as much as they could about communities that comprise the Tampa Bay region. After all, he desired to share many of the values that were instilled in him.

“My wife and I are very passionate about giving back to this community because it has given us a lot,” said the 27-year-old righthanded pitcher. “(Rays fans) welcomed us and have been cheering us on through the good and bad. It’s been very fun to give back a bunch of different ways.”

Reading with the Rays

One of the many ways Pepiot has given back has been through Reading with the Rays, which is among several community-related programs under the umbrella of the Rays Baseball Foundation. Launched in 2006, the program “encourages kids to avoid summer reading loss by participating in a fun and interactive reading program over the summer months.”

Pepiot participated in a Reading with the Rays event last year and was eager to partake again this summer, which he did at Lighthouse of Pinellas on June 20. Founded six decades ago, the education and rehabilitation facility assists the visually impaired of all ages and provides support for caregivers.

“It was an experience that was very cool,” said Pepiot, who read with elementary school age youngsters. “The kids work hard on reading, doing it with braille and they were so much fun to be around. To see the smile on their faces, it brightens your day.”

Enrique Oliu can appreciate how those at Lighthouse of Pinellas have been bettering themselves. Oliu has provided commentary on the Rays’ Spanish radio broadcasts (WQBN) since the club’s inaugural season of 1998 without having seen a pitch. The native of Nicaragua, blind at birth, relies largely on the symphony that is that sound of baseball resonating throughout the ballpark. It is an experience he shared while attending the event with Pepiot. Most important, those who attended learned how Oliu has enjoyed a wonderful career.

“While they certainly loved meeting Ryan, the big thing for me was to be there and show those kids that they can do something,” said Oliu, who is assisted by his wife, Debra Perry, when calling games alongside veteran play-by-play partner, Ricardo Taveras. “I spoke to the kids about what I do and how I have done it so that they could understand how they can make something of themselves. You never know what some of the kids might have gotten out of (our visit). There are many possibilities for them.”

Pepiot and Lilia spent a morning in late June visiting a Ronald McDonald House. He has also participated in Rays on the Runway, a team family event benefitting the Children’s Dream Fund in St. Petersburg, and has assisted Feeding Tampa Bay.

“Any time there is an opportunity for me to do something, I love to do it,” he said. “I did the Reading with the Rays last year and that was really cool to hang out with the kids and read a couple of books. This year at Lighthouse was a phenomenal experience.”

What does ‘Pep’ like to read?

Pepiot considers himself a slow reader, not that he needs to set speed-reading records as he peruses the printed word devoted to a mix of sports, fiction and business. He is more into numbers and often absorbs materials dedicated to personal finance, a subject he studied at Butler University, less than 20 miles from the family home in Westfield and where he holds program records for most strikeouts in a season and career.

“Business and finance definitely piqued my interest,” he said. “I have also enjoyed fiction, like Lord of the Rings-type of stuff. That’s the kind of stuff I read when I wasn’t reading sports.”

As a youth, Pepiot’s choice of reading included books authored by Ronde and Tiki Barber, the former involved with various charitable causes in the Tampa Bay region. More recently, he devoured a book written by a former pitcher who shared on- and off-field experiences.

“It was a great book that was about his process of choosing a college, the struggles of turning pro, living up to his contract in San Francisco and stories from his playing days,” he said of the 2021 tome authored by 165-game winner, Barry Zito, who pitched for the Giants and A’s.

It was a reading experience enjoyed by Pepiot, who likewise enjoys assisting others get the most out of their reading experiences.

“I had a blast both times with Reading with the Rays,” he said. “It is a lot of fun doing something like that and I got a lot out of it.”