Get ready to strike out hunger! Citizens Bank and the Philadelphia Phillies, along with Phillies All-Star pitcher Aaron Nola, today kicked off the 2019 Phans Feeding Families campaign, a ballpark-wide initiative to raise money and collect food to feed those who are at risk of hunger.

At the event, Nola was named the new Ambassador for the Phans campaign, and made his first official pitch to help feed families in need. As part of the program, Citizens Bank Mid-Atlantic President Daniel K. Fitzpatrick presented a check for $40,000 to Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization.

“We are grateful to Citizens Bank and the Phillies and to our new Ambassador, Aaron Nola, for their efforts to help strike out hunger,” said Philabundance Executive Director Glenn Bergman. “As we work to end hunger for good in the Delaware Valley, it’s imperative that we help feed the more than 400,000 children who lose access to school meals during summer break.”

“No child should ever go to bed hungry,” said Aaron Nola. “The Phans Feeding Families initiative is a very important one as it helps so many families put food on the table. I encourage our fans to join the Phillies, Citizens Bank and Philabundance as we do all that we can to make a difference to those who need it most.”

How to Support Philabundance and the 2019 Phans Feeding Families Campaign:

· Bid on new and game-used, autographed memorabilia during the Phillies Charities, Inc. Auction benefitting Philabundance via the MLB Ballpark App from May 2-May 31. All items will be on display at the First Base Gate Plaza, May 3-5 and May 18-19, and include those signed by 2019 players’ Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin, Maikel Franco, Bryce Harper, Odúbel Herrera, César Hernández, Rhys Hoskins, Andrew Knapp, Andrew McCutchen, Aaron Nola, J.T. Realmuto, and Nick Williams, as well as 2008 World Champion Jimmy Rollins, and Hall of Famers Steve Carlton and Robin Roberts.

· Take part in the Phans Feeding Families Day & Food Drive, Saturday, June 8, when the Phillies take on the Cincinnati Reds at 4:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park. The game will feature various ways to help feed families in need (as well as an Avett Brothers postgame concert).

-- Purchase a special Phans Feeding Families Theme Night Ticket. For each ticket sold, $8 will be donated to Philabundance, putting 16 meals on the table for those in need. 

-- Bring a donation of non-perishable food and receive an $8 ticket discount to select 2019 games. Recommended items include plastic jars of peanut butter and jelly, canned tuna and pasta.

-- Purchase food for families in need, thanks to GIANT Food Stores who will be on Citizens Bank Way with canned tuna, pasta and plastic jars of peanut butter and jelly. Those who purchase food will be given an $8 ticket discount to select 2019 games, as well as have the chance to meet former Phillies All-Star Mickey Morandini at the event.

-- Participate in the Phillies Charities 50/50 Raffle, in which a portion of the proceeds will benefit Philabundance.

-- Make an online monetary donation to the campaign through philabundance.org.

-- Spread awareness to fight hunger using #PhansFeed on social media.

Complete program details are available at phillies.com/feedingfamilies.

To lead off the program, Citizens Bank has contributed $40,000 in support of Philabundance. This contribution will help provide the first 80,000 meals to the 2019 Phans Feeding Families campaign.

Since the initiative began in 2011, Phans Feeding Families has generated about $500,000 for the cause. To date, with fan support of funds and food, more than 1 million meals have been provided to families in need.

“At Citizens Bank, we are committed to fighting hunger in our community and Phans Feeding Families has proven to be a great way to raise awareness for this vital cause,” said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, President of Citizens Bank, Mid-Atlantic Region. “By providing thousands of children with access to food, we can help them reach their highest potential.”

In addition to Citizens Bank, several Phillies sponsors and advertisers support hunger relief efforts and will participate in the 2019 campaign. They include: Aramark, GIANT Food Stores, Goya Foods, Hatfield, SEPTA and Toyota.

“We’re honored to host the ninth annual Phans Feeding Families Day at Citizens Bank Park,” said David Buck, Phillies Executive Vice President. “Thanks to Aaron Nola, our fans and corporate partners, we hope to strike out hunger and provide much-needed food for families struggling to afford the next meal.”

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $161.3 billion in assets as of March 31, 2019. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 2,900 ATMs and approximately 1,100 branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services, including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest rate products, and asset finance. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

About Philabundance

Philabundance is the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization, seeking to drive hunger from our communities today and end hunger for good. In 2018, it distributed more than 26 million pounds through a network of 350 member agencies, and partnerships with hospitals, schools, libraries and other service providers. Philabundance serves more than 90,000 people each week, 30 percent of whom are children, 16 percent of whom are seniors, and others served include college students, single parents and the working class. Give now or learn more at Philabundance.org.