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Thome, Sox join forces for tornado relief

Jim Thome, along with his wife Andrea and the Thome family, has committed $100,000 to help in the tornado relief efforts in central Illinois, where Thome was raised.

The Peoria native who now serves as the special assistant with the White Sox, has also joined forces with the Chicago White Sox and three other MLB clubs to help the rebuilding efforts in Washington, Ill., where some of his immediate family live.

Thome visited the city and toured the devastation with Washington Mayor Gary Manier last week, according to a release from the White Sox.

“I've never seen anything like it in my life. The devastation literally took my breath away,” said Thome. “I knew at that moment that Andrea and I would do whatever we could to help the people of Washington, so near to where I grew up, and home to my brother Randy and his family. We are so grateful that my former teams stepped up to join us in our efforts to help.”

The White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, four of his former clubs, also will contribute financially to the Thome family donation.

The White Sox also will organize a youth and athletics focused event in Washington in the spring of 2014 in support of the Thome family efforts.

“When Jim and Andrea told the White Sox about their family's plans to help those affected by the destructive tornadoes that ravaged central Illinois, we immediately focused our efforts on helping make a difference in Washington,” said Christine O'Reilly, White Sox senior director of community relations and executive director of White Sox Charities. “We know few people with more compassion and bigger hearts than Jim and Andrea Thome, and we are honored to stand with them as members of the White Sox and baseball family.”

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