Do you have sports equipment in a closet at your house collecting dust? Have your kids grown up and moved away, leaving you with some old catcher’s equipment, basketballs or even a football helmet? This holiday season the Pee Dee Padres, Hartsville’s newest travel baseball team, want to provide you with a way to pass those items along to kids in need.
Through December 21st, the Padres will be collecting new and used sports equipment at Carolina Printing & Trophy (618 South 5th Street in Hartsville) and Burry Bookstore (130 West Carolina Ave in Hartsville). Simply drop your new or used items in the blue bins at these locations to help make a difference in the lives of young people in our area.
Once collected, the equipment will be distributed by Carolina Kids, a non-profit organization with the mission of enhancing the lives of children in Darlington County by investing in social change and breaking down economic barriers.
“We’re teaching our players about the game of baseball and about their responsibilities to their community. They’ve fully embraced both. As a parent and a coach, I’m proud of all of them,” said Padre coach Bruce Douglas.
The Pee Dee Padres are a United States Specialty Sports Association travel baseball team. The Padres’ roster includes Jaden Atkinson, McKendrie Douglas, Ace Gibson, Riley Hendrix, Bennett Laney, Andrews Meadows, Nolan McInnis, Kam Rheuark, Grayson Weekley, Cole Winburn and Evan Young. In addition to Bruce Douglas, the Padres are coached by Terry Weekley, David Young and Joseph Winburn.
For more information about the sports equipment drive or the Pee Dee Padres, contact Bruce Douglas at peedeepadres@gmail.com. For more information about Carolina Kids, contact Andrea Pulling at carolinakids@roadrunner.com.
Burry Bookstore’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturdays 10am to 4pm. Carolina Printing & Trophy is open Monday through Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturdays 9am to noon.
