Pirates team up with Sheetz and food bank to distribute meals to Pittsburgh students
The Pirates are back home after a six-game road trip that took them through Houston and Atlanta. But before taking the field at PNC Park against the Dodgers Tuesday night, some of the team spent the afternoon at Pittsburgh Arsenal in Lawrenceville, meeting students and staff and distributing boxes of food.
It's part of a partnership with Sheetz and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, where they will deliver 2,000 boxes of food between 18 schools in the Pittsburgh Public and Penn Hills school districts.
"It's been exciting," said Sheetz community partnership manager Jackie Sheetz Foderaro. "It's a hot day, but everyone's had smiles on their faces, and we've got the Parrot here."
The Parrot, along with infielder Nick Gonzales and pitchers Brandan Bidois and Evan Sisk, joined members of the coaching staff in playing "matball" with some of the students in the gymnasium. It's a fast-paced, indoor variation of kickball, and students and staff members alike joined in the fun.
"I'll get in there soon," Foderaro said with a laugh.
This is just one of multiple programs where the Pirates have partnered with the food bank, and yet another program they have ventured into with Sheetz, one of their newest major sponsors. Sheetz has also helped to start an initiative called "Home Runs For Hunger," where the company donates $200 for every home run the team hits at PNC Park.
The Pirates have hit 39 home runs at home so far this season entering Tuesday night's game.
"We're very focused on community engagement, so events like this just help us get out and partner with our community members," said Foderaro.
While there are still more on hand for this current food delivery initiative, the trip to Lawrenceville Tuesday was enjoyable for all involved.
"They've been great!" Foderaro said of the players. "They've been really good with the kids and it's always great to partner with the Pirates as much as we can and expand on our partnership with them."
