DENVER — Friday is supposed to be the home opener for the Colorado Rockies against their division rival, the San Diego Padres, but the novel coronavirus has thrown a brush back pitch to the baseball world.
So instead of packing more than 50,000 fans into Coors Field, the Rockies are holding a "Stay-at-Home Opener" event that will also double as a fundraiser for food banks in Colorado and Wyoming.
The Rockies will be airing a virtual simulated game starting at 2 p.m. on AT&T SportsNet.
The game will have archived inning-by-inning game footage, memorable moments that past and current players and coaches will introduce, as well as special in-game features, like virtual pregame ceremonies, in-between inning features and a seventh-inning stretch, according to a news release sent out by the Rockies.
During the broadcast, the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club Foundation will be taking and matching donations to help food banks in Colorado and Wyoming. The Rockies Foundation will match all donations up to $300,000 with 100% of the proceeds going to Care & Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado, Community Food Share, Food Bank for Larimer County, Food Bank of the Rockies and Weld Food Bank.
“These are unprecedented times for food banks across Colorado and Wyoming,” said Food Bank of the Rockies President and CEO Erin Pulling. “We are seeing a doubling in those who need food assistance as a result of COVID-19, and we are proud to have the Colorado Rockies’ leadership step up to contribute funds to aid in our response."
In the news release from the Rockies, Pulling said in normal times they distribute enough food to provide 155,000 meals in a single day, with nearly half of this food going to children. Due to the impact of COVID-19, Food Bank of the Rockies is expecting to feed double their number of typical clients for at least the next three to six months.
“This event was a culmination of several different ideas and desires swirling around us right now," said Rockies Owner/Chairman and CEO Dick Monfort. "We wanted to extend our Foundation’s assistance in one of the most critical areas of need right now, and that’s in making sure people can get access to food for themselves and their families. We wanted our fans to have some sort of Opening Day here in Colorado, because it is always such a holiday for our city, state and region, and we wanted to make it a safe celebration for all."
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