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ST. LOUIS (RNS)
After the outpouring of dismay over Cardinals first baseman’s signing of a $254 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, members of The Gathering decided to act.
“We heard people were burning their Pujols jerseys, and someone said, ‘Why don’t we ask them to donate the jerseys, and we’ll give them away?’” said the Rev. Matt Miofsky, the pastor of the United Methodist church.
The 5-year-old church christened the effort, the “Recycle the Five Drive,” a play on Pujols’ jersey number. It began Facebook and Twitter campaigns to let disappointed Cardinals fans turn their anger into a positive.
Via Facebook and Twitter, the church urged them to bring Pujols jerseys to the church and promised to donate them to a charity in Ahaheim.
Church member Elaine Kidwell, 74, a lifelong Cardinals fan, first heard about The Gathering’s jersey recycling effort on Facebook and declared it “a very cool idea.”
“It’s a great way to put a positive spin on something that’s been very painful for all of us,” Kidwell said.
The church brings in about 600 to 700 mostly young people to three worship services each Sunday.
“So much of faith is about perspective,” Miofsky said. “There’s collective disappointment and anger among some in the community, and part of our job as a church is to help people funnel those feelings into a making a positive difference.”
Miofsky said a member of The Gathering has a friend in the Angels organization, and the church is working with Pujols’ new team to find an appropriate clothing bank.
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