Where can you find a collection of memorabilia for talent like Paul Skenes, Myles Garrett and Giannis Antetokounmpo in one place?
The Asheville Tourists’ online auction for Hurricane Helene relief.
The Astros’ High-A affiliate is bringing the sports world together in an effort to help its local community. Proceeds will go to MANNA Food Bank, Helpmate, BeLoved Asheville, United Way of Buncombe County and Always Asheville Fund. CareSource will match each dollar raised with a gift to MANNA Food Bank of up to $100,000.
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“If you look at the history of disasters, tragedies in communities, it's oftentimes a sports team that was a rallying cry,” said Brian DeWine, the Tourists’ owner/team president. “And we feel like that is our responsibility in this community. We're supposed to be there for the community, for good times and bad times.”
After Helene hit Asheville on Sept. 30, the area suffered extreme flooding, mudslides and lost power. Tourists front-office members began volunteering at distribution centers, and when they eventually got cell service again, they fielded calls from across the country about how sports teams could help.
With the approaching MiLB Fall Business Meetings in Charlotte, N.C, DeWine and the club thought it was a good opportunity for each team to bring something to donate for an online auction. Then, the Tourists started thinking about the larger sports community.
“Myself, our staff members, we literally just started going through our cell phones for people we knew at organizations,” he said. “Sending them emails, texts, and saying, ‘Hey, if you have anything, let us know.’ Or, ‘Do you know someone who knows someone, please let us know.’ And it was just really a grassroots effort.”
Minor League teams from across the country offered up items. Asheville’s current and former parent clubs, the Astros and Rockies, got involved. Efforts expanded to independent baseball teams, then to other sports.
Prospective shoppers can find a Cleveland Browns helmet signed by Garrett, a Milwaukee Bucks signed Antetokounmpo jersey and a Bubba Watson signed baseball. There's a Matt and Jackson Holliday ball, and one from former Mets prospect Tim Tebow. The items even expand outside of sports with the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps donating a package of items from "The Office" and "Napoleon Dynamite."
And DeWine said more items will be added to the auction.
“People sent the best they had,” DeWine said. “It wasn't like they were just cleaning out their closet. They sent the good items because they knew what it means to our community.”
Asheville’s McCormick Field was in the middle of renovations prior to the hurricane. The park first opened in 1924 – and underwent large-scale renovations in 1959 and 1992 – making it the oldest active Minor League park outside of Florida. DeWine said initial inspections show the stadium is OK, but the city is still without clean water.
Along with volunteering and the auction, the club created Hurricane Helene Relief T-shirts with proceeds going directly to relief efforts. They raised $20,000 in the first 90 minutes.
The Greenville Drive, a fellow South Atlantic League, has continued the T-shirt drive with proceeds being sent back to Western North Carolina. DeWine was touched by how much the Red Sox affiliate and others have stepped up, knowing how much work goes into sales and shipping for that sort of thing.
“It's a long recovery,” DeWine said. “But we're in this for the long haul, and we're looking forward to help rebuild our community.”