Blue Crabs Community Caravan makes pit stops around So. Md.
Local team lends a helping hand at Children’s Aid Society in Waldorf
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs players took a break from practice to show their appreciation for fans and supporters in various Southern Maryland
communities last week.
On Thursday, the Blue Crabs reached out to the greater Southern Maryland community with its ninth annual Community Caravan. One of the team’s first stops in Charles County was the Charles County Children’s Aid Society in Waldorf where a few of the players helped package and distribute food to families in need.
“This just shows how much we want to give back to the Southern Maryland community even though we can’t repay how much they give us,” said Blue Crabs Marketing Manager Austin Gore. “Some of these guys are kids at heart playing baseball and they’re just doing what they love so the Community Caravan is a wonderful opportunity to show the players’ love of the game, whether its packaging food or playing with members of the community and supporting a community that loves baseball.”
“As a nonprofit organization, we are very grateful to have the Blue Crabs stop by here and take the time to give back to families in the community. They’re lifting those boxes and as they discovered, packing food boxes is complicated but they’ve done very well and we’re quite appreciative of their efforts,” said Janet Brett, Charles County Children’s Aid Society warehouse manager and volunteer coordinator.
Brett split the players into different areas and gave them tasks to assist the organization’s coordinators in moving and packaging many of the basic life necessities being provided to local families in the county.
Pitcher Shaun Garceau said Brett gave the team specific instructions about what to do from the moment they came through the door, so the team got right to work.
“A community caravan is us getting together going to different parts of the community to do different things, either helping or just getting the word out about the team,” Garceau said. “It’s always a good feeling to be here and its always great to help those who need it. Most of us have been through similar situations as those families who are currently struggling.”
Danielle Ryan, the society’s executive director, said half of the players created food boxes with donations made to the food pantry while the other set of players worked on U.S Department of Agriculture bags that the organization typically adds to the food boxes that go to each family.
Blue Crabs infielder Michael Snyder is new to the team this season and is excited to be bonding with his new teammates while visiting the local community.
“Just being able to help the community as a team and even doing the little things like packaging food gets the morale going for the team. It also helps us to bond with one another since a lot of us are new to the team in addition to building a great relationship with the community,” Snyder said.
The Charles County Children’s Aid Society said the Blue Crabs visited the food pantry at a time when supplies are generally in stock but will decrease significantly as the year continues. The society accepts donations such as baby supplies, canned or boxed food, and clothing for the families where more than 30,000 Charles County citizens are helped annually.
“I think it’s great that the Blue Crabs can go out and help multiple places that need the help and support during their off-season,” Ryan said. “Anyone who wants to come donate their time and volunteer a few hours of their day is always welcome.”