If you donate food items or toys to the South Bend Cubs over the next two weeks, you’ll receive a free ticket to a game in April, the team announced. This is part of the local baseball team’s holiday food and toy drive, which started on Tuesday and will run through December 15.
For every non-perishable food item (canned or bagged) or new toy you donate to the Cubs Den Team Store at Four Winds Field, you’ll get one ticket voucher for a game on April 10, April 23, or April 24.
Donations of food will be given to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana and toys will go to St. Joseph County’s Court Appointed Special Advocate program.
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Chris Hagstrom-Jones, the Cubs’ assistant general manager for marketing, stated that there are nearly 500 children in the foster system in St. Joseph County who are at risk of not receiving a gift during the holidays. Additionally, free school lunches and similar food-aid programs often pause during the holiday break, further exacerbating the issue of food insecurity. According to the food bank, 17.5% of children in northern Indiana don’t know where their next meal will come from.
The food bank is in need of non-perishable items, with specific requests including canned chicken and tuna, peanut butter, grape jelly, and canned vegetables or soups. You can view the complete list of needs on its website.
For the CASA program, donations of new, unwrapped toys, as well as books, games, clothes, and luggage are accepted. An Amazon Wishlist features specific requests. However, items such as DVDs, video games, and religious gifts will not be accepted.
Contact South Bend Tribune city reporter Jordan Smith via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09
This article was originally published on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Cubs offer free tickets for food and toy donations
