Twins announce plans for third annual organization-wide week of service from May 29-June 4

Minnesota Twins, St. Paul Saints, Wichita Wind Surge, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, and Florida and Dominican Republic Complex teams to all participate over seven-day span

May 28th, 2024

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – Continuing to deliver upon an organization-wide commitment to creating positive change – from the Twin Cities to the Dominican Republic and beyond – the Minnesota Twins and the club’s six minor league affiliates today announced plans for the third annual “Minnesota Twins Week of Service,” to be held from May 29-June 4. From packing meals for underserved communities, volunteering at a soup kitchen and doing a school recess takeover, this year’s activations center around the idea that together, we can build a better tomorrow.

In 2021, the inaugural Minnesota Twins Week of Service was held and is believed to be Major League Baseball’s first-ever coordinated effort of its kind across an entire organization. Since the event’s inception, the Twins organization has set the foundation for each new year’s activations and strengthened relationships with nonprofit partners and the communities served. This year’s Week of Service will again involve front office staff and clubhouse personnel from the Twins and each of Minnesota’s minor league affiliates – including the organization’s Florida Complex and Dominican Republic Baseball Academy – taking turns volunteering in their respective local communities with partners of their choosing.

“From the majors to the minors, part of our ethos as the Minnesota Twins is to build a better tomorrow for communities across Twins Territory,” said Kristin Rortvedt, Twins senior director, community engagement and executive director of the Minnesota Twins Community Fund. “The Minnesota Twins Week of Service is one of many ways we show up off the field for those that cheer for us on the field. Now in its third year, the ‘Week of Service’ has become one of our new favorite traditions and we’re thrilled to continue building on the strength of our people and our places, from the ground up.”

Details regarding specific Minnesota Twins Week of Service events can be found below.

Wednesday, May 29 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Target Field – Minnesota Twins (Food Packing with Appetite For Change and Urban Ventures)

Players, coaches and front office staff from the Minnesota Twins will once again begin the organization’s Week of Service by partnering with Appetite For Change and Urban Ventures to pack healthy snack kits to support underserved Minneapolis youth. Appetite For Change believes that food is a key ingredient for nourishing well-being but that systemic barriers make it hard for many people to access fresh food; the organization’s youth and workforce development programs and policy initiatives build the community capacity to engage with local food systems in a fresh and sustainable way. Urban Ventures provides cradle-to-career support for youth and families in underserved neighborhoods by working to address opportunity gaps in academics, nutrition, physical activity, parenting resources and more, with the ultimate goal of preparing and sending every youth in their neighborhood to college or postsecondary education.

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Wednesday, May 29 – FCL Twins (Volunteering at Community Cooperative Soup Kitchen and Lee Health Regional Cancer Institute)

Players, coaches and staff from the Twins’ Rookie-level Florida Complex League team will take on two volunteer projects on May 29, sending players and staff to Community Cooperative Soup Kitchen to distribute food to those in need and visiting patients at Lee Health Regional Cancer Institute.

Thursday, May 30 – Double-A Wichita Wind Surge (Making a Meal for Families at Ronald McDonald House)

Minnesota’s Double-A affiliate, the Wichita Wind Surge, will spend their volunteer day making a meal for families at the local Ronald McDonald House. A nationwide organization, Ronald McDonald House Charities serves sick children and their families while ensuring they have adequate resources while the children undergo medical treatment.

Friday, May 31 – Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Twins (Serving Lunch at Caminante Proyecto Educativo)

Players, coaches, and staff from the Twins’ Dominican Republic Baseball Academy will donate their time and energy to visit Caminante Proyecto Educativo and serve lunch to children and families currently using the nonprofit’s resources. DSL Twins players will also distribute donation bags filled with personal hygiene products and provide educational resources. For 30 years, Caminante has been working for the protection of children and adolescents from abuse, commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking; the organization implements intervention models through preventative health programs and projects, education, professional technical training and advocacy in public policy.

Friday, May 31 – Low-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Volunteering at Franklin Park Elementary School)

Players, coaches and staff from the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Twins’ Low-A affiliate, will be working with the United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties as part of their community partnership school program, a collaboration that includes the United Way, Lee County School District, Florida Gulf Coast University and Lee Health. The staff, teachers, and students of Franklin Park Elementary School were moved into portables while their school was being rebuilt; players, coaches and staff from the Mighty Mussels will assist with activities and tasks to assist with moving back into the school.

Saturday, June 1 – High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels (Food Packing with HACAP and Organizing Incoming Food Donations at Farmers Market)

Minnesota’s High-A affiliate, the Cedar Rapids Kernels, will partner with the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP), a nonprofit dedicated to improving human life in eastern Iowa, to pack backpacks with supplies, organize incoming food donations and collect donations at a local farmers market.

Tuesday, June 4 – Triple-A St. Paul Saints (Recess Takeover with Playworks at Crossroads Montessori School from 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)

Players, coaches and staff from the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate the St. Paul Saints will partner with Playworks Minnesota to visit a local elementary school during their recess time to encourage inclusive play, put on adaptive wiffle ball programming and more. A partner of the Saints and the Minnesota Twins Community Fund, Playworks focuses on the life skills and life lessons kids can learn through play.