Aurora Public Schools and the Colorado Rockies are stepping up to the plate to meet the significant need for food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of Major League Baseball’s Home Plate Project, the Rockies are donating $35,000 to the APS free meal program which provides nutritious meals to children and adults.

To thank the Rockies for the generous donation, the APS Nutrition Services Department and the APS Foundation hosted a Rockies Appreciation Day on Thursday, June 25. APS employees sported Rockies gear while they handed out meals packaged in purple bags to represent the baseball team.

The APS free meal program began in March as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In the last three months, APS has served more than 1.1 million free meals to its community. The district distributes free breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Friday at 21 locations across Aurora. All three meals are available together for pickup through a grab-and-go system. Additional meals are provided on Fridays to sustain families through the weekend.

APS receives funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the child meals. The APS Foundation has raised more than $280,000, including the $35,000 donation from the Rockies, to fund free meals for adults. The free meal program will continue at least through July 31.

The Home Plate Project is a partnership between Major League Baseball, Big League Impact, Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation, Colorado Rockies baseball players (Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Daniel Murphy) and the Colorado Rockies Foundation.