Kickballing Colorado legislators raise $15k for hurricane victims
Don’t say Colorado legislators didn’t do anything good during their two-day special session this month, though two attempts to fix a costly mistake in a new law went nowhere.
Some of them raised almost $15,000 for hurricane victims dueling on the kickball field on a cold, rainy Monday night in the first Bipartisan Charity Legislative Kickball Game.
Walmart donated $10,000 for disaster relief through the American Red Cross to sponsor the game with support from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Each legislator who played in the game raised or donated at least $100.
“When we learned that the Colorado legislature was looking for a place to host a charity kickball game, we jumped at the chance to offer our Regency Athletic Complex,” MSU Denver President Janine Davidson said in a statement. “This event allowed us to support the state legislature’s effort to raise funds for hurricane relief, while also showcasing this important community resource to others who may not be aware of it.”
Ryan Irsik, who handles public affairs and government relations for Walmart stores in Colorado, spoke of the company’s overall commitment to helping storm victims.
“Walmart is proud to support the Colorado legislature and disaster relief efforts through the American Red Cross,” he said. “We hope that our commitment of over $35 million in relief will help with the many challenging days of recovery and rebuilding ahead.”
Reps. Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs, and Alec Garnett, D-Denver, as well as Sens. Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs, and Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, organized the game.
“This gift means someone has shelter, food, water and comfort today,” Gino Greco, CEO for the American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming, said in a statement. “It means that on someones darkest day, there is hope. The response to multiple hurricanes along the coast continues, through the generosity of donors like this incredible group of Representatives and our partners at Walmart. This gift is alleviating human suffering, and we want to say thanks.”