MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins – including manager Derek Shelton, players Kaelen Culpepper and Alan Roden, National Baseball Hall of Famers Joe Mauer and Tony Oliva, Twins Hall of Famer Justin Morneau and mascot T.C. – will volunteer across the Twin Cities during the club's 21st annual Holiday Week of Gratitude from November 16-20. Events open to the media include an elementary school book fair with Reading Partners and Thrivent, a holiday market for Gillette Children's patients with Target, and an environmental stewardship visit to Wakan Tipi Awanyankpai with Treasure Island Resort & Casino.
Tuesday, November 17: Reading Partners and Thrivent Book Fair at Bethune Community School
• WHO: Twins outfielder Alan Roden, Twins front office staff and mascot T.C.
• WHAT: Empowering pre-K through fifth grade students to become lifelong readers by gifting them new books and enjoying player-led read-alouds.
• WHEN: Tuesday, November 17 from 9:00-11:00 a.m.
• WHERE: Bethune Community School; 919 Emerson Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
• B-ROLL/SOUND: Kids choosing books, Roden reading to Kids, T.C. greeting students, Roden interview
Thursday, November 19: T.C. and Bullseye’s Merrywood Market in partnership with Target at Gillette Children’s
• WHO: Twins manager Derek Shelton; Twins players Kaelen Culpepper and Alan Roden; National Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer; Twins Hall of Famer Justin Morneau; Twins mascot T.C. and Target mascot Bullseye; Twins front office staff; and Gillette Children’s patients and families, volunteers and organization executives.
• WHAT: Bringing the dazzle, delight and whimsical cheer of a holiday market to Gillette Children’s patients and their families! This event will feature gifts, face painting, games, presents, treats and more, all to benefit children who have complex brain, bone and movement conditions receiving treatment at Gillette Children’s.
• WHEN: Thursday, November 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Twins personnel from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.).
• WHERE: Main entrance to Gillette Children’s is through the Gateway Plaza building (680 Jackson St., St. Paul, MN 55101). Media should park in the surface lot in front of the parking ramp and play area, and contact Traci Klein at 507-990-1182 for an escort into the building.
• B-ROLL/SOUND: Mascots, players, manager and alumni interacting with patients and their families; kids and families enjoying activities; interviews with Twins personnel and Gillette Children’s reps
Friday, November 20: Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi visit in partnership with Treasure Island Resort & Casino
• WHO: Twins manager Derek Shelton; Twins front office staff; former KARE11 sportscaster Eric Perkins; and Treasure Island Resort & Casino leadership team
• WHAT: Celebrating Native American Heritage Day by visiting Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi in St. Paul for an interactive session about the history of the land and the organization’s dedication to land stewardship and environmentalism. The visit will include a volunteer activity to remove invasive buckthorn and spread native plant seeds.
• WHEN: Friday, November 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• WHERE: Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi; 265 Commercial Street, St. Paul, MN 55106
• B-ROLL/SOUND: Interactive site tour; hands-on restoration work and native seed planting; interviews with Shelton and TI representatives
Additional Initiatives
While not open to the media, the Twins and their partners are also engaging in the following initiatives as part of Holiday Week of Gratitude:
• Food Packing with Second Harvest Heartland: On Monday, November 16, Twins Hall of Famer Justin Morneau will join Twins front office staff and mascot T.C. to sort and pack food donations, for distribution across local and regional food shelves. Second Harvest Heartland works with over 1,000 food shelves across Minnesota and Wisconsin to help those dealing with food insecurity and provided over 143 million meals to the community last year.
• Blanket Making with Thrivent and Fleece & Thank You: On Wednesday, November 18, National Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Oliva will join Twins front office staff and Thrivent staff at the Thrivent offices to make fleece tie blankets. Thanks to partner Fleece & Thank You, the blankets will be delivered to children facing hospital treatments, along with a message of support from the individual who made the blanket.
• T.C.’s Thanksgiving Deliveries with Cub: In partnership with Cub and its mission to bring joy to families this holiday season, Twins mascot T.C. will surprise families with all the fixings to make a wonderful Thanksgiving meal.
• DIY Pet Toys for Ruff Start Rescue: Throughout the week, Twins front office staff will repurpose old t-shirts and other fabric into dog and cat toys for Ruff Start Rescue, a local nonprofit animal shelter.