Texas Rangers players, Meals On Wheels and limited edition jams for seniors in need

Texas Rangers

Choo’s Cotton Candy Grape, Strawberry/Apple Jelly Gallo, Wild Willie Berry and Wak’s Passion Peach are just some of the new limited edition jams handmade by Texas Rangers players to benefit local seniors facing hunger.


The jams are available on https://wakwayfarmpantry.store with a matching buy-one gift-one going to the Home-Delivered Meals program at Meals On Wheels, the Rangers said in a news release.
“Baseball players never have the summer off. The pandemic changed everything and has created a hardship for so many, especially for our most vulnerable seniors,” said Don Wakamatsu, Texas Rangers Bench Coach and founder of the WakWay Foundation.
“We wanted to do something positive for our community so I gathered some of the guys in the area and teamed up with the Jelly Queen, Chef Donna Collins, to teach us her craft on how to make jellies and jams,” Wakamatsu said.

Texas Rangers, Meals on Wheels courtesy photo


“It was so much fun to meet with the players and teach them how to handcraft their own jam. It was like having a pack full of puppies in the kitchen. Every one of them were sweet and perfect gentlemen, they even did the dishes,” Collins said.

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“We’re extremely grateful that our local Texas Rangers are stepping up to the plate when it comes to battling senior hunger here in Tarrant County,” said Carla Jutson, president and CEO of Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County.


“Most of our clients don’t interact with anyone other than their meal delivery volunteers on a regular basis, especially during this pandemic, so to see their favorite players from their hometown team make this extra effort to handcraft something especially for them is a huge win for both their emotional and physical well-being,” Jutson said.
The Texas Rangers who participated are:                                        


Willie Calhoun: Wild Willie Berry; Joey Gallo:  Strawberry/Apple Jelly Gallo; Shin Soo Choo:  Choo’s Cotton Candy Grape; Darren Oliver:  Pitcher Perfect Grape; Nick Solak:  Solak’s Rounding the Bases Raspberry; Jose Trevino: Trevi’s Peach n Mango Mayhem; Taylor Hearn: Manganero Spice; Don Wakamatsu, Wak’s Passion Peach; and Chuck Morgan: TexPAMan 4 Berry Jam.
“This project was a blast and with a $48 donation to the Wakway Foundation, folks will receive a custom gift box filled with an autographed jar of one-of-a-kind flavored jam, Arizona Desert Bloom Honey and Snickerdoodle Nut Butter, and a matched gift will go to our seniors,” Wakamatsu said.
The jams are a limited production and a new flavor will be introduced each week.
Wakamatsu was inspired to re-establish his third-generation family farm with Farm-i-tude.


“The WakWay Farm is focused on creating a hub of learning, teaching, and creativity, where we farm to make EVERY acre count. This non-profit small farm is a hands-on laboratory dedicated to having fun while creating the best farming practices, and partnering with some of the most innovative agriculture minds in the country,” a news release said.
Meals On Wheels Inc. of Tarrant County is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization that has provided home-delivered meals, professional case management, social interaction, and other needed items or services to homebound, elderly and disabled residents throughout Tarrant County since it was established in 1973.
www.wakwayfoundation.org
www.mealsonwheels.org
– FWBP Staff