Submitted by We R Tacoma
Starting today, the Tacoma Rainiers and Tacoma Defiance (We R Tacoma) are donating $5 from all team-licensed hat sales at the We R Tacoma Team Store to Downtown Tacoma Partnership’s Hero Meals program, an initiative which provides meals from downtown Tacoma restaurants to South Sound essential workers including healthcare professionals, emergency first responders, grocery store employees and others. We R Tacoma is refreshing “R Hat R City” which donated proceeds from Rainiers hat sales to Jason Lee Middle School’s “Watts Up!” solar array fundraiser in November 2019, but this time is also making Tacoma Defiance hats eligible to purchase for the $5 donation to frontline heroes fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Hero Meals was established in April 2020 and is comprised of Downtown Tacoma Partnership (DTP) and eight participating restaurants that are prepping meals for local heroes. With the goal of delivering 300 meals each week, DTP is accepting donations of any amount, and for every $25 raised, three meals are donated from one of the participating local restaurants. To date, Hero Meals has raised $25,000 from 150 donors which has led to 2,000 meals delivered and another 800 slated to be dropped off in the coming weeks.
“It is important to show support to all the frontline workers because we are all in this together, every single person,” said Carol Anne McQuade of The Swiss Restaurant & Pub, one of the eight restaurants donating meals. “They are carrying some of the heaviest burdens in the fight against COVID-19 because they are exposed to the virus on a more regular basis than the average citizen.”
“Hero Meals gives a handful of exceptional Tacoma restaurants the opportunity to re-open their doors and do so for a deserving cause, which is making the lives of essential workers easier,” said We R Tacoma President Aaron Artman. “We’re thrilled to support the Hero Meals program, even if we have to do so from a distance.”
We R Tacoma intends to make incremental donations to the Hero Meals program in order to continue helping fulfill orders during this difficult time when many meals are needed.
“R Hat R City was a unique way to include our fans in a worthy cause last November, so we’re excited to bring it back and get the Defiance brand and soccer fans involved,” Artman said.
Tacoma Rainiers and Tacoma Defiance hats, along with other merchandise, can currently be purchased online from the We R Tacoma Team Store. More information about “R Hat R City” can be found at WeRTacoma.com/RHatRCity.
Always Together. We R Tacoma.
About the Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Tacoma has been a member of the Pacific Coast League since Cheney Stadium opened in 1960, and has been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the Rainiers moniker in 1995.
The most up-to-date news and notes about the Tacoma Rainiers and Cheney Stadium can be found at WeRTacoma.com, or by following the Rainiers on Twitter (@RainiersLand), Instagram (@tacomarainiers) and liking the team on Facebook.
About Tacoma Defiance
Tacoma Defiance is the USL Championship affiliate of reigning MLS Cup Champion Seattle Sounders FC. You can follow The Future of Champions on Twitter (@TACDefiance), Facebook, and Instagram (@tacdefiance). We are #DefiantlyTacoma.
We R Tacoma Team Store
The We R Tacoma Team Store is open, online. Grab your Rainiers gear, your Defiance ‘fit, and follow the team store on Instagram and Twitter.
COVID-19 Information
More information on social distancing and how to prevent the spread of Covid-19 can be found at Tacoma-Pierce County Health. The most up-to-date information on how COVID-19 is affecting events at Cheney Stadium can be found here.
