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Cleveland Indians continue to give back to community with unique pasta sauce, salsa fundraisers

The Cleveland Indians continue to give back to their community through unique fundraiser.

CLEVELAND -- Throughout their history, the Cleveland Indians have made giving back to the city a key organizational priority.

And through one conversation about baseball, the Indians have embraced a unique way of giving back to Cleveland with a fundraising effort including a line of pasta sauces and salsa, proceeds from which benefit Cleveland Indians Charities.

“I had the good fortune of being at a game with Tito Sr., Terry’s father, and my father two years ago on opening day when we played Boston and were snowed out,” said Gus Shimrak, of Barnstorm Marketing and RBA Sports.

“My father is a contemporary of Tito Sr., and they spent the entire game talking, talking about Pittsburgh, games they had seen together and played in. My father was challenging him on if he got a hit or didn’t get a hit. Tito was saying, ‘No, I did or didn’t get a hit.’ It was just a great two hours that they spent together.”

It was at that point that Shimrak approached Indians manager Terry Francona about doing a project that would “support their love of Cleveland,” and shortly thereafter, “Tito Francona and Son Pasta Sauce” was born.

Currently, the “Tito Francona and Son Pasta Sauce” lines feature marinara and tomato basil flavors, but more could be on the way in the future.

“That’s the biggest reason why we’re doing this and why they wanted to do it,” Shimrak said. “Tito Sr. has expressed to me multiple times over the years as this evolved that Cleveland was probably his favorite stop along the way.

“Terry, likewise, the same way. When he was a kid, he loved Cleveland, and now, he can’t rave enough about the front office and the fans, and both of them wearing the same uniform. It was really important to them to be able to give directly to a charity they both were involved with over the course of 35, 40 years.”

Credit: Matt Florjancic
Through a partnership with Barnstorm Marketing, the Cleveland Indians continue to raise money for Cleveland Indians Charities with a pasta sauce line, "Tito Francona and Son Pasta Sauce."

The relationship with the Indians has grown from there, as American League All-Star infielder Jose Ramirez has joined the campaign to help others with a salsa line.

A fan reached out through Twitter and pledged to buy a jar of salsa for every home run Ramirez hit during the season. On Cinco de Mayo, Ramirez responded to the tweet by saying he would donate two jars of salsa to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank for every home run.

The movement has grown from there as several fans have taken to social media and pledged to donate to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank for every hit and/or home run Ramirez gets this season. Others have committed to donate to the cause for every win the Indians rack up in 2018.

Currently, Ramirez is tied for sixth in all of baseball with 14 home runs, and is just two behind the leader, Boston outfielder Mookie Betts.

“That’s a great testament to the fans of Cleveland and the Cleveland Indians fans,” Shimrak said. “They saw what @BSchnyd was going to do, and they responded to say it was cool.

“Then, they responded to say how great it was that Jose was going to do the jars. Everybody thought it was phenomenal and more people are willing to pitch in and do the same. That’s just a testament to the great fans that we have.”

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