Colorado Rockies Foundation announces “Stay at Home Opener”

The Colorado Rockies Foundation announced today that, in light of the postponement to the start of the 2020 season, they will air a special “Stay at Home Opener” Feed the Rockies event on Friday, April 3, the original date of the Rockies’ home opener. The virtual game broadcast, which will be comprised of the best and most memorable innings in the history of Rockies home opening days, will begin at 2:00 p.m. MDT on AT&T SportsNet, and will also be shown on Rockies.com. Rockies social media accounts will be providing unique, second-screen content throughout the game.

This AT&T SportsNet game broadcast will simulate the Rockies home opener experience for fans, so they can enjoy “Opening Day” from the comfort of their homes. The game will be comprised of archived inning- by-inning game footage, full of memorable moments that past and current players and coaches will introduce, as well as special in-game features, like virtual pregame ceremonies, in-between inning features and a seventh- inning stretch, and more.

As the centerpiece of this special programming, the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club Foundation will be hosting an online fundraiser to benefit food banks in Colorado and Wyoming, called “Feed the Rockies.” Throughout the virtual game, fans will have the opportunity to make donations at Rockies.com/FeedTheRockies, and the Rockies Foundation will be matching all donations up to $300,000, with 100% of proceeds going to Care & Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado, Community Food Share, Food Bank for Larimer County, Food Bank of the Rockies and Weld Food Bank, all of which serve people throughout Colorado and Wyoming during this time of significant need.

“These are unprecedented times for food banks across Colorado and Wyoming,” said Food Bank of the Rockies President and CEO Erin Pulling. “We are seeing a doubling in those who need food assistance as a result of COVID-19, and we are proud to have the Colorado Rockies’ leadership step up to contribute funds to aid in our response. Food banks across Colorado and Wyoming are shifting their operations to better serve the needs of our community, including drive-through mobile pantries and innovative partnerships. We are able to help our neighbors receive food at these difficult times, thanks to community support from organizations like the Colorado Rockies Foundation.”

Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest private hunger-relief organization in Colorado and Wyoming. They are part of the Feeding America network and partner with more than 600 local pantries in 30 counties across the two states. In normal times, they distribute enough food to provide 155,000 meals in a single day, with nearly half of this food going to children. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 virus, Food Bank of the Rockies is expecting to feed double their number of typical clients for at least the next three to six months.

“This event was a culmination of several different ideas and desires swirling around us right now. We wanted to extend our Foundation’s assistance in one of the most critical areas of need right now, and that’s in making sure people can get access to food for themselves and their families.” said Rockies Owner/Chairman and CEO Dick Monfort. “We wanted our fans to have some sort of Opening Day here in Colorado, because it is always such a holiday for our city, state and region, and we wanted to make it a safe celebration for all. So the Rockies Foundation is very pleased to partner with the food banks in Colorado and Wyoming for this special ‘Stay at Home Opener’ Feed the Rockies fundraising event, as we team up to help our community and enjoy some baseball while we’re at it.”