Amazing Gift: Crosby Donates 100,000 Meals to Pgh Food Bank

On the ice, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has dished 801 assists. Monday, Crosby served up 100,000 meals for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank. His gift is the largest player contribution to a charity during the NHL coronavirus season pause.

“I saw the people of Pittsburgh coming together to help one another and I wanted to be a part of that,” said Sidney Crosby via the Penguins press release. “The Food Bank and its staff have done an amazing job providing for so many people and I am proud to partner with them during this challenging time.”

Recently, Penguins players have contributed hundreds of pizzas to community centers and even opened a tab for police officers at Primanti Bros.

The food bank has seen a sharp increase in need over the past seven weeks, as part of the COVID-19 pandemic. The charitable organization has delivered more than 4.2 million pounds of food in that time, which is a staggering one million-pound increase from the same time in 2019.

“Sidney is such an incredible person both on and off the ice,” Lisa Scales, President & CEO of the Food Bank said. “He’s provided great joy to this region during his tenure with the Penguins, and now he is helping us provide food assistance to those who need it most during the COVID-19 crisis.”

With any luck, Crosby is not done providing joy to the Penguins fanbase this season, either. Discussions for the NHL return resumed on Monday, as well as discussions to hold the 2020 NHL Draft in June. 

The donation by Sidney Crosby equates to 120,000 pounds of food distributed across the organization’s 11-county service area in southwestern Pennsylvania.

For more information on how to receive food assistance please contact the Food Bank at 412-460-3663 ext. 655 or visit www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/gethelp.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is a nonprofit organization that distributes more than 35.5 million meals annually across its 11-county service area. The GPFB is also a member of Feeding America, the leading domestic hunger-relief charity.