DYERSVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) — More than 140 volunteers from John Deere, Major League Baseball and River Bend Food Bank packed 12,000 meals in two hours at the Field of Dreams.
MLB Together, the league’s community outreach platform, hosted the meal-packing event at the movie site on Wednesday, featuring John Deere workers nominated by their coworkers for their volunteering efforts.
“[These workers] are known for their connection to the community. They show up regularly to help their neighbors,” Taryn Edgin, president of the John Deere Foundation, said. “We’ve never brought food onto sites like this. It’s taken months of planning.”
The John Deere Foundation and MLB funded the roughly 20,000 pounds of food. River Bend Food Bank will distribute to residents through its more than 400 food pantries and meal programs across eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
River Bend Food Bank said events like this help serve the approximately 1 in 7 people in the region who do not always have enough to eat.
“How could you not be excited about the ability to give them food,” Edgin said.
April Brown, MLB Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility, said the effort reflects a broader commitment to the communities the league serves.
“It is a dream that we can make a reality for many families by doing events like this, packing food, being aware and supporting our friends and family,” Brown said. “This means everything to us.”
The John Deere Foundation is also presenting $100,000 to Feeding America with additional funds given for home runs hit by the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies at the Field of Dreams Thursday night.
The MLB at Field of Dreams Game will be broadcast on Netflix with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
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