Minor League Baseball Launches CommUNITY First Campaign

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today announced the launch of MiLB CommUNITY First, a new national initiative developed 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. To kick off the campaign, MiLB Charities has donated to the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund. Additionally, MiLB's national partners, including BAM Live, ECHO Incorporated, Guardian Protection, ISM Connect, Nationwide, Satisfi Labs, Screenvision, STOUFFER'S^®, Tickets.com and Uncle Ray's, have joined the campaign.

Fans can visit MiLB.com/CommUNITYFirst through May 31 to donate and select the MiLB community they want to support.* For every $10 donated, the MiLB team in the selected community will donate one ticket to a home game this season or in 2021 to a local hero of the pandemic.

"In times of uncertainty, coming together to help others is crucial to the health, well-being and stability of our local communities," said Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O'Conner. "With the support of our fans and through the Feeding America network of food banks, we want to do our part to continue to fight hunger across America during this pandemic. When it is possible to hold games once again, our teams will provide local heroes across the country with unforgettable experiences in our ballparks."

Even as some states move to reopen certain businesses and restart their economies, an unprecedented number of Americans remain dependent on food banks and emergency food aid during the pandemic. 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, according to Feeding America. 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, Minor League Baseball's contribution 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 at MiLB.com/CommUNITYFirst and use #MiLBCommUNITYFirst on social media to show your support.

*Funds will go directly to local food banks or the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund.

About Minor League Baseball 
Minor League Baseball is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball^® clubs through their farm systems. In 2019, Minor League Baseball attracted over 41.5 million fans to its ballparks to see baseball's future stars and experience affordable family-friendly entertainment that has been a staple of Minor League Baseball since 1901. For more information, visit www.MiLB.com. Follow Minor League Baseball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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.

Media Contacts:
Mary Marandi, Minor League Baseball Communications, [email protected] 
Courtney Nehls, MiLB Charities, [email protected] 
Mamie Moore, Feeding America, [email protected]  

SOURCE Minor League Baseball

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