ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers begin play in the 2026 World Series, the mayors of both cities announced a friendly wager Friday aimed at helping local residents in need.
St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson took to their social media channels to announce the challenge, asking their respective communities to turn their baseball excitement into charitable support.
“We’re challenging our cities to harness our enthusiasm for baseball into positive impact for our community,” Mayor Welch said. “I’m excited to team up with Mayor Johnson and proud to support St. Pete Free Clinic during the World Series. St. Petersburg has been through some tough times. But just like Tropicana Field, we know a thing or two about a comeback. We’re resilient, we’re strong, and this is our chance to show the world what the Sunshine City is made of.”
“On the field, the stakes are high, but between mayors, it’s a friendly wager,” said Mayor Johnson. “By incorporating a charitable element, everyone in both cities is a winner during this World Series.”
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson
Under the challenge, St. Petersburg is rallying support for the St. Pete Free Clinic, which runs one of Pinellas County’s largest food banks and provides food and healthcare services across the region.
Residents can make financial contributions online at stpete.org/give by selecting “Mayor’s Challenge,” or drop off items from the clinic’s wish list into designated collection boxes across 25 city facilities.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee is asking its residents to donate through United Way to support six local homeless shelters.
Alongside the charitable drives, both mayors agreed to exchange gift baskets highlighting local goods from their communities. Mayor Welch assembled items featuring St. Petersburg businesses, artists, and cultural institutions, including Beech Kombucha, The Dalí Museum, Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill, Firestone Grand Prix, Green Bench Brewing Company, Hogg Batch Coffee, racing driver Nikita Johnson, Kahwa Coffee, artists Chad Mize and Clancy Riehm, the SHINE Mural Festival, St. Pete Athletic, St. Pete Brewing Company, St. Pete Poet Laureate Denzel Johnson-Green, the St. Pete Chamber Store and Visitor’s Center, 3 Daughters Brewing, Urban Stillhouse, the Woodson African American Museum of Florida, and Zen Glass Studio.
READ: Trophy Tug-Of-War: How Tampa And St. Petersburg Could Wrestle Over A Rays Victory Parade
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