At half-way mark, “Striking Out Hunger” raising funds for RI Community Food Bank thanks to Citizens Bank Foundation
With plenty of baseball to be played, cheer on the PawSox and help fight hungerProvidence, R.I. (July 5, 2007) - Earlier this baseball season, the Citizens Bank Foundation, the Pawtucket Red Sox, Cox Communications and the Rhode Island Community Food Bank announced a summer-long partnership that would help feed our neighbors in need. With half of the baseball season complete, “Striking Out Hunger” is succeeding in making a difference in the lives of thousands of Rhode Island families.
Throughout the entire 2007 Pawtucket Red Sox Baseball Season, the Citizens Bank Foundation is donating $50 to the Food Bank for each strikeout recorded by a PawSox pitcher, up to $50,000. This program was created in response to the increased need that the Food Bank experiences during the summer when children are out of school and unable to participate in the Federal School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.
“When children who were receiving meals at school through the Federal Programs are home for the summer, it places an enormous amount of additional stress on household food budgets that are already stretched to the limit,” said Joseph J. MarcAurele, Chairman, President & CEO of Citizens Bank of Rhode Island. “This initiative was established to help make sure children do not go without nutritious meals, the most basic of needs.”
Through the season’s first 76 games, the Pawtucket Red Sox pitching staff has established themselves as one of the best in the International League, racking up a total of 561 strikeouts for more than $28,000 to date from the Citizens Bank Foundation. “We are very pleased with the performance of our pitchers this year,” stated Lou Schwechheimer, Vice President & General Manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox. “As an organization committed to helping Rhode Islanders in need, we’re pleased that each time we record an out with a strikeout, we know it’s going to make a difference in someone’s life.”
To keep the public’s interest and excitement, “Striking Out Hunger” continues to be promoted through a public service announcements on Cox Communications’ television stations and the Pawtucket Red Sox Radio network. The opportunity to further educate the community on the problems of hunger in our state is a key component of this program.
“The response to this initiative has been outstanding,” commented Andrew Schiff, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “During a time when the need increases and we see more and more people lining up at our food pantries, the efforts of these dedicated partners and the enthusiasm of the fans to support our work is inspiring. I hope every Rhode Islander has the opportunity to visit McCoy Stadium and cheer on the PawSox -- especially when they get 2 strikes on the opposing batter!”
Currently, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank is feeding thousands of Rhode Islanders in need each month through a network of nearly 400 certified member agency programs. A new USDA statistical study on food insecurity shows that 1 out of every 8 Rhode Island households does not have enough to eat – this is an increase from 1 out of 10 in 1998. In addition to this, Rhode Island’s rate of childhood poverty is the highest and fastest growing in New England.
The Rhode Island Community Food Bank is a non-profit organization located in Providence, RI. The Food Bank solicits, stores and distributes food products donated by supermarkets, wholesalers, food processors, local farmers and community food drives. The food is then distributed to the Food Bank’s network of approximately 400 member agency programs. In the past fiscal year, the Food Bank distributed a record 8.5 million pounds of food. For more information about the Food Bank, please visit www.rifoodbank.org
About the Citizens Bank Foundation
Citizens Bank Foundation is a charitable contributions vehicle of Citizens Bank. The foundation’s support is focused on housing, community development and basic human needs.
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