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Twins Wives Take On Rays Wives in Support of Community Cooperative

This spring, the wives of the Minnesota Twins players battled the wives of the Tampa Bay Rays players in a softball game supporting a local charitable organization. Following the Twins vs. Rays Spring Training game at the CenturyLink Sports Complex, the ladies took the field to raise money for Community Cooperative, a nonprofit organization fighting to end hunger and homelessness in Lee County.

Each team donated $5,000 toward the cause, and a $10,000 check was presented to Stefanie Edwards of Community Cooperative before the Spring Training game. The Minnesota Twins Wives Organization raised additional funds before the game by selling Twins merchandise at their table, with any purchase or donation of $25 or more getting ticket-holders the chance to meet and get autographs from select Twins players. A few of these players were pitcher Blake Parker, catcher Willians Astudillo, and two-time MLB All-Star and Twins Hall of Fame inductee Michael Cuddyer.

Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson, a champion supporter for Community Cooperative, served as the emcee for the wives’ softball game. Between innings, he raised awareness for the organization and its mission by sharing about its programs and statistics, shedding light on homelessness and explaining why so many in Lee County need assistance from Community Cooperative.

Each softball team consisted of several talented women. Janie Reed (wife of Twins player Jake Reed) was among the players on the Twins Wives team, who was a pitcher for Team USA in the 2017 World Cup of Softball. The game ended with a 6-4 score in favor of the Rays Wives, who made a comeback this year after losing to the Twins Wives in last year’s matchup. The Twins Wives didn’t go down without a fight, and kept the score close for most of the game. Not only was the match an event for fans to enjoy, but it also raised awareness for a worthy cause in Lee County.