D-backs team with St. Mary's Food Bank to help feed local Phoenix community

PHOENIX -- Just hours before the 2023 National League champion D-backs jogged out onto the field to host their first World Series contest at Chase Field in 22 years, the organization made a substantial impact less than three miles south of the ballpark’s front gates.

As part of the MLB Together platform, club president and CEO Derrick Hall announced that MLB and the D-backs would be donating $50,000 to the St. Mary’s Food Bank, which will help feed children and the families of those in need at the Cesar Chavez Leadership Academy in South Phoenix.

“The creation with the D-backs and St. Mary's food pantry is just an amazing partnership,” said April Brown, MLB’s senior vice president, social responsibility. “It's the embodiment of working together so that no family goes hungry. Twice a month, families from the neighborhood can come in here and receive a box that is filled with food to sustain the family.

“I just wanted to congratulate everyone on that amazing work. … That's what we try to do each and every day in all the communities where we play ball -- we try to reduce equity gaps and really provide essential resources for families.”

Two dozen students who have achieved perfect attendance thus far in the school year were granted the opportunity to sit front row and listen to Monday’s presentation, which also featured the dance stylings of D-backs mascot Baxter. One young student in particular -- who ultimately performed the ribbon-cutting portion of the ceremony -- piped up to announce that it was his birthday, to the cheers of all in attendance.

St. Mary’s Food Bank, which was established in 1967 as the nation’s first food bank, has a considerable legacy in Arizona. With a presence in nine Arizona counties, St. Mary’s has been able to help fight against food insecurity in local communities.

“Many people, particularly children in our community, have faced food insecurity and other hardships. So our families are very grateful for this resource,” said Christina Bhattacharya, the principal of Cesar Chavez Leadership Academy. “Our food pantry provides healthy food and its consistency provides mental peace for many parents. A child cannot learn if their basic needs are not met. Programs like our school pantry provide nourishment and ultimately better opportunities for our students in the classroom.

“I want to say a big thank you to the Diamondbacks and to Major League Baseball and St. Mary's Food Bank for helping our community.”

Also on hand for the proceedings were Jeremy Guthrie, an MLB Commissioner Ambassador and 13-year Major Leaguer, and Luis and Roberto Clemente Jr., the sons of MLB Hall of Famer and humanitarian Roberto Clemente. The Clementes were in Arizona ahead of Game 3 of the World Series, where they presented the Yankees’ Aaron Judge as the 2023 Clemente Award winner.

Once inside the facility at Cesar Chavez Leadership Academy, the Clementes, Hall and St. Mary’s Food Bank CEO Milt Liu helped to stock the shelves full of non-perishable food items that would soon be distributed to local families.

Excitement was palpable in downtown Phoenix, both to see the unveiling of the food pantry and to watch the D-backs later in the night. Hall extended his gratitude from the club back toward the community and outlets such as St. Mary’s, which he cited as a driving force in helping to combat hunger issues in the state.

“We hope to have seasons like this where we win and we go deep into the playoffs, but we know that's not always going to happen,” Hall said. “But where we can have an impact each and every year is with what we do in our community, making Arizona a better place to live, to work.”