Players from Three Teams Collect 3,183 Pounds of Food for Manna Food Center

By Tim Wilcox

Over a two-hour period Saturday, representatives from the Bethesda Big Train, Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, and Gaithersburg Giants gathered 3,183 pounds of food for Manna Food Center, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing quality food for people experiencing hunger and food insecurity.

This year’s drive marked the 11th time the league has held the food drive. Over the last ten drives, the league collected more than 30 tons of food in total. In previous years, it was called the “Feed the Hungry Challenge” and served as a competition among the Montgomery County teams to see who could collect the most food.

The league last held the drive in 2019 and collected 7,675 pounds of food for Manna Food Center. That year, the Gaithersburg Giants won the Feed the Hungry Challenge by collecting nearly 3,000 pounds of food.

This year’s drive came at a time that the community can use the extra support.

Edwin Drijas of Manna Food Center said that collection rates are lower in the summer months and this drive helps them fill their shelves for a few more months to support those in need.

“The [Manna Food Center] really appreciates this influx of food in the middle of summer when very few people are collecting,” Bethesda Big Train founder and president Bruce Adams said. Adams works with Manna leaders every year to organize the food drive.

The players from the Giants, Big Train and Thunderbolts who participated found it to be a rewarding experience.

“This is where we play,” Thunderbolts' catcher Ethan Warner (West Chester) said. “It’s great to know that we can help the community.”

While much of the summer focuses on learning and growing on the field, this drive serves as an opportunity for players to learn off the field as well.

“It's a good chance for these [players] to start to learn how to give back,” Adams said. “If they want to move forward in life, if they want to move forward even in baseball, they need to learn how to give back.”

The players collected items such as whole wheat pastas, canned beans and canned fruits and vegetables.

Bethesda pitcher Brandon Cassedy (Christopher Newport), now in his second season with the Big Train, participated in a community event last year, giving out Big Train brochures at a farmer’s market. Events like this help grow the team’s connection to their community.

“As a team coming out, whether to a Giant like this or whatever area and to give back to the community to try to support people that come and watch you, you always want that,” Cassedy said.

In addition to supporting neighbors in need, the food drive helped spread awareness for the teams in the CRSCBL. Shoppers at the grocery stores asked players which team they were a part of and where they play, Giants' infielder Will Burgess (Montgomery College) said.

After this event’s success, Burgess would like the food drive and similar community events to continue.

“This has been a great opportunity for us,” Burgess said. “Hopefully we do more stuff like this in the future. It's always great to give back to the community.”