Sarris “Bradie” ball raises $20,000 for charity
What started as a lighthearted joke at the expense of the New England Patriots ended up raising $20,000 for families in need of some warmth this winter.
The “Bradie” ball, a 2.5-pound chocolate football with a deflated appearance, was raffled off Friday morning on KDKA Radio. Proceeds will be donated to the Dollar Energy Fund to provide home heating and other utility assistance grants to families in need.
Sarris Candies confectioners made the Bradie ball to poke fun at the controversy surrounding the Patriots and whether the team intentionally used underinflated footballs during their AFC championship game victory.
Richard Bazzy, owner of Shults Ford in Pittsburgh, secured the winning bid with $5,000, which was matched by Bill Sarris, owner of the Canonsburg chocolate factory. The remaining $10,000 will be donated by Dollar Energy Fund’s utility partners.
“It’s doesn’t get any better when you can poke fun at an AFC rival, while knowing that you are also helping families in need,” Bazzy said in a news release. “We expect to display the football in one of our dealerships with pride.”
Norm Candelore, retail operations manager at Sarris, said the auction raised more money than expected and thanked radio host Marty Griffin for arranging the auction.
In addition to the Bradie ball, the package that was auctioned off included two regular chocolate footballs and two chocolate football helmets – a package valued at $500.