34 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • JULY 25, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
kids & education
Photo: Jacob Kaye/QNS
David Wright surprises kids in support of summer meals program in Flushing
BY JACOB KAYE
It may not have been from a crowd of
42,000 at Citi Field, but David Wright got
a hero’s welcome from about 100 excited
kids on Tuesday, July 23, as he helped
promote No Kid Hungry’s summer meals
program at a middle school in Flushing.
“It’s just a program that I’ve always
heard about,” said Wright, who retired
from baseball in 2018. “But until you get
involved and learn exactly what goes on
behind the scenes – it’s quite impressive.”
Th e No Kid Hungry summer meals
program was created to combat childhood
hunger during the summer months,
when children don’t have the same access
to the free meals they receive during the
school year.
J.H.S. 189, where the event was hosted,
is an open meal site, where kids from
around the city can come to get a free
meal.
In addition to providing meal sites and
summer meals, No Kid Hungry, a national
organization that advocates to end
childhood hunger in America, has a texting
service that allows parents or caregivers
to fi nd the three closest meal sites to
feed their children.
By texting either ‘FOOD’ or ‘COMIDA’
to 877-877, families can get connected
with a meal.
“No matter where you are, you can
get the information,” said Rachel Sabella,
director of No Kid Hungry New York.
Wright, who retired from baseball in
2018, played several games of corn hole,
led the group in a game of trivia and
signed lots of hats, shirts and baseballs.
“Fortunately for me, I’ve never had to
think about where I’m going to get my
meals during the summer,” Wright said.
“Th is program, to come and help the kids,
not only in this area, but nationwide, is
very, very impressive.”
As for his own meals during the summer
months of baseball and beyond,
Wright had a go-to option.
“I was always a big peanut butter and
jelly guy,” Wright said. “I think maybe I
got some hits one day aft er having a peanut
butter and jelly and then it was in my
head that I had to have it every day aft er
that.”
For several years running, the Mets
have teamed up with Citi to donate $2,000
to No Kid Hungry for every home run at
Citi Field, the Mets home turf.
Despite being disappointed in the Mets’
season so far, the former Mets captain said
the donation pledge remains something
to root for.
“It would do everyone some good if
those guys could hit some more homers,”
Wright said.
David Wright tosses a ball to a trivia winner at No Kid Hungry’s summer meals event in Flushing on July 23, 2019.
Photo by Michael Wiltbank
/WWW.QNS.COM
