Backpack program gets big boost from Rangers pitcher

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A Lafayette food bank is getting some help from a hometown hero.

The Josh Lindblom foundation donated $25,000 to Food Finders Food Bank's backpack program Monday morning.

The program distributes more than 3,800 backpacks to children in 16 counties, including Tippecanoe.

It provides meals for students' families on the weekend and after school. The gift was raised through local donors. 

"This organization has a special place in our heart to be able to see what they are able to do within the community for the kids and their families on the weekends,” Lindblom said. “I don't think it's a well known program, but it's one that makes a huge impact."

The Josh Lindblom Foundation hosted its Second Annual Charity Game Night on December 8, 2012 to support Food Finders Food Bank’s Tippecanoe County BackPack Program and Vision of Hope of Lafayette.

The Charity Game Night hosted over 300 generous participants, and had a Live and Silent Auction for guests to bid on great prizes from local businesses. The Foundation’s generous donation will help to sustain weekly backpacks for over 115 children on the free and reduce lunch program for an entire school year.

Lindblom is a pitcher for the Texas Rangers and will leave this week for spring training in Arizona.

The Josh Lindblom Foundation also announced continued support for Food Finder’s Backpack Program by making them a recipient of the 2013 Answer the Call Program.  During the 2012 season, for every appearance made by Lindblom, the Josh Lindblom Foundation donated funds to the Dream Center in Los Angeles and the Foundation’s efforts in Lafayette, Indiana. The Foundation’s 2012 Answer the Call Programs raised over $15,000 for the Dream Center in Los Angeles.  

The new beneficiary for the Answer the Call Program for the 2013 Season will be the Food Finder’s Backpack Program, the Dream Center in Los Angeles, the Josh Lindblom Foundation’s Efforts and an organization to be named in the Dallas, Texas, area.

Food Finders reminds everyone that January is a crucial time for donations. If you would like to help, head to Food Finders’ website.