Amidst the federal government shutdown, the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low A; Midwest League) purchased a meal for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers late last week.
TSA officers have been working without pay as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, which is currently in its 25th day–the longest such shutdown in United States history. On Friday of last week, the River Bandits showed their support for TSA officers at Quad City International Airport by purchasing lunch.
The action did not go unnoticed by airport officials, who noted the team’s contribution in helping members of the community during a difficult time. More from the Quad-City Times:
River Bandits Owner Dave Heller said bringing his staff together to purchase food and grill burgers on Friday was one way to show support.
“They’re working so hard without pay to keep us safe and help us enjoy our freedom. And we just want to say ‘thank you,'” Heller said. “We appreciate their hard work. We really do. They’re caught in the middle of a terrible thing right now with the shutdown. And without taking political sides, we just want to let them know we appreciate what they’re doing.”…
As the River Bandits owner talked and ate with TSA officers Friday, [Quad City International Airport Executive Director Ben] Leischner said he is grateful to have federal employees dedicated to their jobs, plus the support of the community.
“I think it’s really neat to see community leaders wanting to help other members of the community, like the TSA,” he said. “And it’s exciting to see the sense of community around this. It’s gestures like this that go a long way with workers currently dealing with a challenging time. We all hope this gets resolved quickly, but it’s awesome to see people do what they can to help.”
Prior to the current shutdown, the longest in United States history was a 21-day shutdown that concluded in January 1996.