HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Over at Toyota Field, there is no shortage of fans, food or fun!
The Rocket City Trash Pandas have added another thing to the list: a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Rocket City Trash Pandas Foundation.
"The Rocket City Trash Pandas foundation was actually formed this year, right before the season in 2022, back in March, so it's fairly new. We're still getting it off the ground and running, but we're really excited about it," said Trash Pandas Director of Community Relations, Maddison Kendrick.
Due to the success of the 2022 season, the Trash Pandas Foundation was made a reality, with the mission of the foundation focusing on educating and promoting healthy lifestyles through sport and to positively impact communities in the North Alabama region.
"We do that through various ways, we have different community programs such as our youth baseball camp, which got kids out and moving, players who are involved as well to help them with that. We also have other programs such as our jersey auctions and other fundraisers that help raise money that we can then go back and donate to local organizations in the community," said Kendrick.
The community and this nonprofit have a mutually beneficial relationship... This nonprofit is able to exist because of the support from the Madison, Huntsville and surrounding communities, all while looking to pour back into those same supporters through the foundation.
"I think since we first started here, we've seen such an overwhelmingly positive response to the Trash Pandas, baseball coming back into North Alabama. So we figured if they're able to support us, we need to support them as well. And what better way to do that than through a nonprofit?," said Kendrick.