Andrew Doyle, lifelong Texas Rangers fan and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, won a bet.
On Oct. 27, Doyle and Bishop Jennifer Reddall of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona formed a wager on the outcome of the World Series — with a charitable twist. If the Diamondbacks won, Doyle would make a donation to the campus ministry fund to the Diocese in Arizona. If the Rangers won, Reddall would make a donation to 4Saints Episcopal Food Pantry in Fort Worth.
As Texas Rangers fans are celebrating their team winning a World Series title, volunteers and staff at 4Saints Episcopal Food Pantry are celebrating the donation they received from Reddall on Thursday. Reddall told the Fort Worth Report that she made an additional donation to the dioceses’ campus ministry. She declined to share how much either of the donations were.
“I think my donating is private, but I’m grateful for the chance to support ministry,” Reddall said. “Sports can be kind of a unifying thing.”
A spokesperson for 4Saints Episcopal Food Pantry shared that it received a $500 donation on Thursday from Arizona.
The food pantry is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and is made up of five churches in Tarrant County that distribute food to people in need. Each Friday, more than 180 families are given food, hygiene supplies and pet food.
Rick Wells sits on the board of directors for the food pantry and represents Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth. Most of the food for the pantry comes from Tarrant Area Food Bank, Wells said.
Reddall’s donation will help the pantry purchase items that might be in limited stock such as peanut butter, tuna fish, canned corn and beans.
“We have to go buy that if we want to have it on our shelves, and that’s what donations like this one will help us do to kind of round out the things that we provide to the clients who come to us,” Wells said.
Charitable wagers like the one between Doyle and Reddall have recently become tradition between bishops in the church.
“What that does is it shows that people in Fort Worth care for those who are in need, and the Episcopal Church stands with that desire to do good in the community there,” Doyle said. “All around it’s fun. It was a fun opportunity for us to do some good work.”
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter @marissaygreene.
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