We all could use some good news right now, and while John Krasinski is doing his best to bring us Some Good News – and he’s doing a fine job at it – today’s good news comes from the Cincinnati Reds, Michael Lorenzen, Sonny Gray, and Major League Baseball. From the Reds:
Reds pitchers Sonny Gray and Michael Lorenzen contributed to a $30,000 donation for Cincinnati’s Freestore Foodbank to distribute food to children in need.
Their donation is part of nearly $1 million raised by over 50 Major League players representing all 30 MLB teams and the Home Plate Project, a partnership between Major League Baseball, Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation and Big League Impact, which was founded by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, and is currently led by Wainwright and Texas Rangers pitcher Kyle Gibson.
“We’re glad to be able to help the Home Plate Project in its effort to support childhood hunger prevention,” said Reds pitcher Sonny Gray. “We also thank Garth Brooks’ Teammates For Kids Foundation and Big League Impact for taking the lead in this project and allowing us to help provide food to those who need it most.”
The donation to the Freestore Foodbank comes at a time when local food needs have increased exponentially due to the impact of the coronavirus.
“We are very appreciative of the donations by Michael and Sonny and all the MLB players coordinated by the Home Plate Project,” said Kurt Reiber, Freestore Foodbank President and CEO. “These funds will allow us to provide 90,000 meals to children and families in need.”
Hunger for children is always an issue. But today it’s even more of a concern as so many children are out of school where plenty of them get two meals a day, and when we toss in that there are now 22 million people without jobs and on unemployment, things simply have to be far worse than usual when it comes to hunger.
Very cool for the two guys to chip in to help tackle a problem in a time when many foodbanks around the country and struggling to fund enough meals that are being requested.
A big tip of my Reds cap to Sonny Gray and Michael Lorenzen. I know Tucker Barnhart and his wife have been very supportive of their home community and I suspect other Reds have been quietly generous as well. We are all in this together. Well done gentlemen.