Pete Fairbanks got the final out of a save on a strikeout on Sunday, and with it, he donated another $100 to the Turner Syndrome Foundation, one near to him because he lost his daughter to the disease in early 2024.
That brings his season total up to at least $3,500 in donations. But the foundation got a whole lot more awareness and fiscal support from fans around the league.
"My pockets are $100 lighter, but you know, I think it was a great summation of what we've been trying to do, Fairbanks said in a postgame interview after the game.
“I’m going to get a little choked up here. Given everything over the past year, this turned into a special day. I felt at peace on the mound today.”
— Tricia Whitaker (@TriciaWhitaker) July 28, 2024
- An emotional Pete Fairbanks after closing out the game and with a strikeout, for Ellis.
Pete & his wife Lydia hosted the… pic.twitter.com/0xuU3wXAsx
The interview, which was on RokuTV for free for fans nationwide, gained steam and earned many more charity donations from fans. Lydia, Pete's wife, told Rays sideline reporter Tricia Whitaker after the game that everything on their charity auction had bids and got a huge spike after the game, with shirts raising awareness selling out.
"If you're local, come build some Legos with me," Fairbanks said, which is one of the experiences fans can bid on. His wife updated later that afternoon that it was up to over $1,000 to build Lego with Pete. Later in the evening, it would climb above $1,500.
Asked if he felt his daughter's presence, Fairbanks said, "Definitely felt a piece [of her] out there. So you know, I'll take that."
Interested fans can see the charity auction items on the Rays website.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rays Fans Shower Pete Fairbanks's Charity With Donations After Emotional Save.
