Whalley Chiefs baseball families stepped to the plate and hit a home-run to help fight hunger.
For a sixth year the club organized a Fall Food Drive, and the stats are in: 1,169 pounds of donations destined for Surrey Food Bank.
The collection involved 77 families, 18 coaches/staff and others in five short weeks through a friendly competition and a coaches challenge, according to Jaelee Treit, Chiefs assistant general manager and club co-ordinator.
Donations included 32 boxes of food and 3,240 diapers (“for future ball players”).
“Absolutely impressive,” Treit wrote in an email to Chiefs families. “This is our sixth year supporting the Surrey Food Bank and each year it gets better and better. In previous years we’ve had corporate sponsorship but this time it was all you! Our only disappointment is not being able to get a picture with all our teams together, the weather didn’t co-operate and the teams were travelling.”
The Bantam Chiefs team won a competition for collecting 13 boxes of food and “a ton” of diapers and wipes, and the senior coaches won a challenge among coaches.
”We know that families and business are impacted with today’s economy, and doing our part is a huge help,” Treit added. “We hear of more and more families utilizing food banks and that their shelves are empty. But not today, thanks to the Whalley Chiefs.”
In the memo, Treit went on to address the players director.
“I hope you recognize that the costs for the team, travel and equipment to play at this caliber is high and your privileged to do so, but for some kids, kids that go to your school (even though they don’t talk about it), just getting breakfast or lunch is a privilege.”