Every year around Thanksgiving, Frisco ISD softball and baseball teams come together for a friendly competition, but this one’s about more than just wins and losses.
Teams across Frisco ISD are going to be competing to see who can collect the most canned goods at the Strike Out Hunger competitions.
What started as a small food drive between six schools over a decade ago, has now grown into one of the district’s biggest community traditions, helping stock the Frisco food pantry.
“It got to the point where we used to be able to drop off all of our goods at a little small business,” head baseball coach Scott McGarrh said. “There’s probably 30 bags total between all schools to where now there’s thousands upon thousands of items donated toward the point last year we donated uh 24,000 items.”
For head baseball coach Scott McGarrh, the event is about more than just the competition, it’s about giving back.
“When my wife and I first moved to Texas, we were living in a one-bedroom apartment in Farmers Branch and I got a knock on the door. It’s Thanksgiving time and I got a knock on the door and we’re used to having big Thanksgiving dinners,” McGarrh said. “The families that we came from, we moved from Southern California to North Texas and we get a knock on the door. I look out the peephole, nobody there. 30 minutes later, I get a knock on the door and again, this is Thanksgiving break. We were off and long story short, got a third knock on my door and there was a food basket on my doorstep and it provided for my wife and I for Thanksgiving that year. And since then, we’ve always given back to that church to help provide food baskets. But when we have this opportunity, it’s so important for us to do stuff for others.”
This mindset has helped the Redhawks win the Strike Out Hunger competition eight years in a row, all while making a difference for families in need.
“This is something that the district needs and this stocks their pantry for, like I said, like 8 months,” McGarrh said. “So, it’s passionate to me. It’s it’s, you know, do I like to win? Absolutely I like to win. Everybody likes to win. Is that the end goal? No, that’s not the end goal. But if I know we bring in 20,000 items and we get beat, that means somebody donated more items than us. Well, at the end of the day, who wins? The community.”
As the baseball and softball teams continue to give back, the event also helps bring them closer together when they donate their time and pack food for families.
“It’s like a Sunday morning,” senior Luke Bishop said. “We’re all at this shelter just trying to give back and we all have to bring food, do all that and it’s a good team bonding opportunity. It’s very fun. As a team, we’re like all competitors, so having fun and competing in something, giving back to the community is always awesome. and I love doing it.”
