Bard, Rox to use K's to fight hunger in Denver area

DENVER -- Rockies reliever Daniel Bard is offering his right arm to close the door on hunger in the Denver area.

Bard announced Wednesday that he will donate $300 for each 2022 strikeout he records to Fill the Void: Amp the Cause to End Hunger, with the Colorado Rockies Foundation matching the contribution. Bard’s 11 strikeouts heading into Wednesday’s game against the Nationals are worth $6,600.

“It's something I've been thinking about for the last year, just trying to kind of blend what I do on the field with things that I care about off the field,” Bard said.

Amp the Cause provides entertainment, annual events and community service projects to raise money that benefits more than 55 local nonprofits. Fill the Void collaborates with Denver and Aurora Public School districts, Denver Police Department Outreach Case Coordinators and the Department of Human Services to identify and assist people and families with food insecurities. The program has served more than 12,000 families and nearly 2,000 people since its inception in 2019.

“It seemed like a good way to do it, tie it to strikeouts -- something that I wanted to get anyway, and now I want to get them even more,” Bard said. “The community relations staff here helped me. We started taking about it in Spring Training.”

In 2020, Bard won the National League Comeback Player of the Year and Tony Conigliaro awards. Having further established himself as the Rockies’ closer, Bard can now also realize a goal of helping others.

“You get into this game because it's fun, and it's what you're good at,” Bard said. “Then you realize you have a chance to make a career out of it. Once that’s happened, it's like, 'What can I do with this beyond just me and my family?' That’s where this came about.”