Gardenhire and Boyd Help Feed Detroit Students in Need

Among the countless affected by the ongoing crisis are the kids who rely on regular meals from their schools. In an effort to fight against childhood hunger and food insecurity in the community, Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire and pitcher Matthew Boyd have each pledged $5,000 to Big League Impact as part of Home Plate, a partnership between Major League Baseball, the Garth Brooks Foundation and Big League Impact.

The Tigers’ donation was tripled by Home Plate, combining for $30,000 to the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The sum will help feed 1,400 students and their siblings through meal deliveries. “We are grateful for the support of the Detroit Tigers, especially during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District. “This generous donation will help feed many of the most medically fragile students in our district and is a powerful demonstration of the Tigers’ organization standing together with DPSCD in support of children and families who are in need.”

Many children lost daily meals they received while in class due to school closures as a result of the pandemic. Detroit Public Schools has been operating grab-and-go sites for food distribution, as well as food delivery for those need.

“No child should ever have to worry about where their meals are coming from,” Boyd said. “The real heroes are those people making the meals every single day, the people running these organizations year-round to feed these children. We’re just trying to do our little part.”

This is Boyd’s second donation to Home Plate. Both he and then-teammate Tyson Ross both contributed to DPSCD through the program last year, helping provide meals for 600 needy families over holiday break.

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