Cardinals join Minor League Baseball's CommUNITY First Campaign

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Springfield Cardinals today announced they are joining MiLB CommUNITY First, a new national initiative developed by Minor League Baseball in conjunction with Feeding America, to raise funds for local food banks and to honor individuals risking their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cardinals fans are encouraged to #FlyTogether and visit www.MiLB.com/CommUNITYFirst through May 31 to donate. Once on the site, fans can choose their donation amount and the Springfield Cardinals as the recipient of their donation to direct funds to the Southwest Missouri community and the Ozarks Food Harvest. For every $10 donated, the Cardinals will donate one ticket (and up to 500 tickets) to a future home game to local heroes of the pandemic.

"Springfield and all of Southwest Missouri has done such a great job coming together as a community over the past six weeks, and the donations that will come from this program will help so many avoid hunger during this difficult time," Cardinals Vice President & General Manager Dan Reiter said. "Community is at the center of what the Cardinals are all about and what Minor League Baseball is all about. This initiative is such a perfect partner to our #FlyTogether community campaign to benefit Springfield during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic."

According to Feeding America, school closures, rising unemployment and rising poverty due to quarantine and extended stay-at-home orders have disproportionately impacted people already at risk of hunger and could result in an estimated additional 17.1 million people experiencing food insecurity in the next six months. As the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization with a network of more than 200 affiliates, Feeding America has projected a $1.4 billion shortfall in the next six months alone.

In response, contributions from Cardinals fans and Minor League Baseball will help ensure families and individuals across the country most impacted by the pandemic are fed and cared for during these uncertain times. Join the national campaign by donating and selecting Springfield Cardinals at www.MiLB.com/CommUNITYFirst and use #MiLBCommUNITYFirst on social media to show your support.

About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.