EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

Fightin Phils to Aid Oklahoma Tornado Relief Efforts

Published on May 23, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


Reading Fightin Phils infielder and Oklahoma native Tyler Henson and his wife Ashley will be hosting a fundraising drive on May 31 to raise money and goods for a pair of families in Moore, Oklahoma. Featuring donated items from Fightins players, the Hensons will be raffling off selected items at the May 31st game in VIST Bank Plaza.

During the game, Ashley and Fightins staff will be manning a table in VIST Bank Plaza where autographed items including cleats, gloves, bats, and apparel will available. There will also be team autographed bats and balls up for auction.

"My wife came to me with the whole idea," said Henson before Wednesday evening's game. "We're going to try to raise as much money for these two families that we both know and see what we can do to give back to them whether it be gift cards, clothes, or anything that we can do to help them get back on their feet. If you ever lost anything, you know what it's like to try to get it back. These people have lost homes, cars, and family pictures that they'll never see again. All of that stuff is gone."

Proceeds from the raffle will directly benefit the pair of families that the Hensons are close with.

In addition to donating items, Reading Fightin Phils players Jesse Biddle (@JesseBiddle_54), Cameron Rupp (@CameronRupp), Jim Murphy (@JimPMurphy), David Buchanan (@davidb413), Jay Johnson (@jayjohnr), and Seth Rosin (@SethDanielRosin) will be donating 10 cents per each RT they receive between May 22 and May 25 on their respective Twitter accounts.

"It shows character," said Henson of his teammates support for Moore, Oklahoma. "Especially Cameron (Rupp) and (Jim) Murphy---these guys stepped up right away when I brought this to the team yesterday (Tuesday). It's huge because not everyone is going to experience a tornado, not everyone is going to experience a hurricane, and not everyone is going to experience losing stuff. It shows a lot of character of what we got on this team"

A native of Tuttle, Oklahoma (about 20 minutes from Moore), Henson is no stranger to the devastation caused by of the path of a tornado.

"I experienced the tornado on May 3, 1999," said Henson about growing up in Oklahoma. "From what my family tells me, it's worse than that. The city hasn't been the same since and now, it happening again. It happened in 2003 and right now. It's devastating."

Fightin Phils fans are encouraged to help the Hensons and the rest of the Fightins team in their efforts to raise proceeds for the victims of Moore.

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