The Tampa Bay Rays play their home games about an hour northwest of Orlando but they stepped up in a big way for victims of the pulse nightclub shooting. The team hosted a “pride night” last night and sold tickets for $5 with 100% of the proceeds to go to the victims fund. By the end of the night they had raised well over $300,000 to help as much as they could.
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The announced attendance of 40,135 for the Rays’ game against the San Francisco Giants was the first regular-season turnout of more than 40,000 at the ballpark since Opening Day in 2006 against Baltimore (40,199). Tampa Bay entered averaging 16,037 in home attendance this season, second lowest in the majors.
“The crowd was big, that’s for sure,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “I saw we raised so much money. That’s great for all of the tragedy that’s taken place over there over the last week.”
The Rays wore “We are Orlando” T-shirts during batting practice and the hats of their onetime Double-A team, the Orlando Rays, in the game.
The Rays wound up losing the game, 5-1 to the San Francisco Giants but nobody really cared about that after a night like that. Salute to the Rays for stepping up in a tragic situation.
