South Bend Cubs food and toy drive offers fans free tickets for donations

SOUTH BEND — Anyone who donates food items or toys to the South Bend Cubs over the next two weeks will get a free ticket to a game in April, the team announced.

The deal is part of the local baseball team's holiday food and toy drive, which began Tuesday and runs through Dec. 15. For every non-perishable food item (canned or bagged) or new toy you donate to the Cubs Den Team Store at Four Winds Field, you'll get one ticket voucher for a game on April 10, April 23 or April 24.

The Cubs will transfer food donations to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana and toys to St. Joseph County's Court Appointed Special Advocate program.

Food insecurity: Cultivate Food Rescue in South Bend to boost food distribution tenfold with new facility

There are nearly 500 children in the foster system in St. Joseph County who stand not to receive a gift during the holidays, according to a statement from Chris Hagstrom-Jones, the Cubs' assistant general manager for marketing.

Moreover, free school lunches and similar food-aid programs often pause over the holiday break, Hagstrom-Jones said. According to the food bank, 17.5% of children in northern Indiana don't know where their next meal will come from.

The food bank accepts non-perishable items and lists its particular needs on its website. Some consistent requests include canned chicken and tuna, peanut butter, grape jelly, and canned vegetables or soups.

The CASA program accepts donations of new, unwrapped toys, as well as books, games, clothes and even luggage; an Amazon Wishlist features specific requests. Items that won't be accepted are DVDs, video games, toys that simulate weapons or are explicitly religious gifts.

Email South Bend Tribune city reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Cubs offer free tickets for food and toy donations