Maddon's annual 10-day goodwill tour begins Friday

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Rays Manager Joe Maddon will host Thanksmas for the eighth consecutive year at Salvation Army Shelters in St. Petersburg, Tampa and Bradenton, the Homeless Emergency Project in Clearwater and the Sallie House in St. Petersburg and then return to his native Pennsylvania home for his Hazleton Integration Project’s Third Annual Christmas Celebration.

Thanksmas begins Friday, December 13 when Maddon hosts his Third Annual Thanksmas Fundraiser at 717 South in Tampa (717 S. Howard Ave.) from 5 p.m. until closing.  The restaurant will prepare Joe’s Thanksmas meal and Rays players and coaches will be guest servers.

As he does for every Thanksmas, Maddon will prepare a traditional Italian/Polish holiday feast for hundreds of needy citizens in the Tampa Bay region.  He will purchase the food and, with the help of Rays coaches and staff, cook and serve the meals at the five shelters from December 16 to 18.  Over the past seven years, Maddon’s Thankmas has served approximately 6,000 individuals in need and provided many of those individuals with clothing and shoes.  

Following Thanksmas, Maddon will return to his Hazleton, Pa., hometown for a series of events to promote his Hazleton Integration Project (HIP).  The project’s mission is to create opportunities for economically disadvantaged children to participate in a variety of no-cost or low-cost educational, cultural and athletic activities.  Last June, HIP opened its Hazleton Community One Center. 

On December 20, Maddon will be joined by four-time 20-game winner Luis Tiant, Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar, former Phillies manager and shortstop Larry Bowa, Tigers bullpen coach Mickey Billmeyer and FOX’s Ken Rosenthal for a HIP fundraiser—a celebrity dinner/auction at Genetti's Best Western in Hazle Township.  The following evening, the Rays manager will host Joe Maddon’s Family Christmas featuring a variety of Hazleton’s most talented young people at the Alice C. Wiltsie Performing Arts Center.  Finally, on December 22, Maddon and his volunteers will serve a final Thanksmas meal to economically disadvantaged citizens at Hazleton’s Catholic Social Services Family Center. 

 Maddon’s upcoming schedule: