Archives for October 2016

Kernels Take the Lead charities raise over $36,000 in 2016

Cedar Rapids, IA – This season, three Kernels Take the Lead charities: Transamerica K’s for Kids, Millhiser Smith Home Runs for the Iowa Donor Network, and CarePro Health Services Plating for Plates, helped raise over $36,000.

Transamerica K’s for Kids: The Transamerica Foundation donates $25 for each strikeout recorded by a Kernels pitcher, at home and on the road, to Kids First – an organization that provides focused legal services for children. This season, Kernels pitchers recorded 1,231 strikeouts for a total of $30,775 to Kids First.

Millhiser Smith Home Runs: Millhiser Smith and West Bend Insurance donate to the Iowa Donor Network for every home run the Kernels hit at Perfect Game Field. This season the Kernels hit 36 home runs as Millhiser Smith and West Bend Insurance donated $2,500 to the Iowa Donor Network.

CarePro Health Services Plating for Plates: CarePro Health Services donates one plate of hot, nutritious food, the equivalent of $5, for every run the Kernels score at home and on the road to Horizons Meals on Wheels. This season, the Kernels scored 669 runs and CarePro Health Services donated $3,345 or 669 plates of food to the Horizons Meals on Wheels program.

The Kernels would like to thank the continued support of the Transamerica Foundation, Millhiser Smith, West Bend Insurance and CarePro Health Services for their continued support of these Take the Lead charities.

Take the Lead Mission Statement
From the Front Office to the dugout “Take the Lead” exemplifies how teamwork and collective efforts support and benefit the Cedar Rapids Corridor. The Kernels are committed to being the community beacon for education, social and recreation programs.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels are the Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

3,142 Vaccinations Administered at PRMC’s Drive-Thru Flu Clinic

Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) would like to extend its thanks and gratitude to 3,142 people on Delmarva who were vaccinated against the flu during the Medical Center’s 2016 Drive-Thru Flu Clinic on October 13 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

PRMC appreciates the community making sure they “live well” through annual vaccinations against the flu. We also thank the Delmarva Shorebirds for our long-standing partnership and the use of the ballpark to host the Medical Center’s largest and best attended annual community healthcare event.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Drive-Thru Flu Clinic Returns Thursday Oct. 13

Peninsula Regional Medical Center’s Live Well “Drive-Thru” Flu Clinic is returning on Thursday, October 13, 2016, but as a single day event at Arthur W. Perdue (Shorebirds) Stadium at the intersection of Route 50 and Hobbs Road in Salisbury, MD. Vaccinations will be administered to individuals 13 years of age or older. A physician’s order is not necessary. A donation of $10.00 per vaccination is requested (cash only; exact amount is appreciated). This year’s shot is quadrivalent, meaning it protects against four strains of the virus.

PRMC’s Live Well Drive-Thru Flu Clinic will be held from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. only this one day, Thursday Oct. 13. Flu vaccinations are encouraged for persons over the age of 65, people with heart or lung disorders, immunosuppressant diseases or diabetes. Participants are encouraged to wear a short sleeved shirt that will provide easy access to the upper arm.

For additional information, please visit the PRMC website at www.peninsula.org and click the Drive-Thru Flu Clinic homepage story/banner. English and Spanish flu shot consents forms for PRMC’s Live Well Drive-Thru Flu Clinic are available on the site and may be filled out in advance and brought with you to the event.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is Saturday

DAYTON, OHIO – The 2016 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk will take place at Fifth Third Field on Saturday, October 15. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. The walk will start at 9:00 a.m.

This event is part of a national fundraising effort. In 2015 alone, over 1 million walkers across the country collected more than $60 million to help fight this disease.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between ages 40 and 55. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and it is estimated that over 40,000 lives will be lost to breast cancer in 2016. And while the breast cancer diagnosis rate has increased, there has been a steady drop in the overall breast cancer death rate since the early 1990’s.

You can help win the fight. The walk and donations go directly to the support, transportation, recovery and other needs that arise with the diagnosis of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society also invests in groundbreaking breast cancer research to better understand, prevent, find and treat the disease.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The Dragons website, www.daytondragons.com, has gone pink in October in support of efforts by Kettering Health Network to increase Breast Cancer awareness in the Miami Valley.

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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Whitecaps named Midwest League’s John Henry Moss Community Service Award Nominee

COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The Midwest League of Professional Baseball Clubs has named the West Michigan Whitecaps as its 2016 nominee for Minor League Baseball’s post-season John Henry Moss Community Service Award.

The John Henry Moss Community Service Award is presented to a club that demonstrates an outstanding, on-going commitment to charitable service, support and leadership within their local community and within the baseball industry.

Since the Whitecaps’ inaugural season in 1994, the team has been committed to operating as a community-based organization focused on providing affordable family friendly entertainment to the West Michigan region. And since that time, the Whitecaps’ success as an organization has been closely linked to the outstanding support received from the community. Giving back to that community has always been a pillar of the Whitecaps’ operating philosophy, and in 2013 the Whitecaps Community Foundation (a 501c (3)) was founded to focus the Whitecaps’ commitment to, and leadership of, charitable support of West Michigan kids and their families.

Some of the Whitecaps’ and Whitecaps Community Foundation’s 2016 highlights and community impacts are detailed below:

Ted Rasberry Field

Thanks to the efforts of the Whitecaps Community Foundation and its community partners, a $54,000 grant was secured from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (a partnership with Major League Baseball). In just four months’ time one of Grand Rapids’ most historic inner city fields was completely revitalized. Use of the new field is primarily for the Inner City Youth Baseball and Softball program and surrounding Grand Rapids community neighborhoods.

Orchestrating the revitalization of a field named in honor of a historic Negro League owner/player and Grand Rapids native was an easy decision for the Whitecaps Community Foundation’s Board of Directors. When all was said and done, the Ted Rasberry Field renovations included: new bleachers, improved infield and playing surface, new equipment storage facility, reseeded outfield and an enhanced irrigation system.

Inner City Youth Baseball & Softball Program

The primary recipient of the Whitecaps’ and Whitecaps Community Foundation’s charitable efforts every year is the Inner City Youth Baseball and Softball program (ICYBS). This program is perhaps the Whitecaps’ best example of stability and sustainability as this season marked its 22nd year of providing free baseball to Grand Rapids inner city kids. The program is a collaborative effort between the Whitecaps Community Foundation, the Whitecaps and other community partners. Since 1995, more than $250,000 has been pledged to the program by the Whitecaps and the Whitecaps Community Foundation, allowing more than 27,000 children the opportunity to participate in organized baseball for free within the inner city.

In 2016, the ICYBS added a focus on nutrition and fighting childhood hunger and provided 9,600 post-game meals for the program participants. In total, the 2016 season stat line reads as follows: 1,400 children participated with 68 volunteers serving as coaches, drivers, and scorekeepers who donated a total of 1,758 hours of their time. Equipment was also provided for free with the West Michigan community donating more than 300 gloves and various pieces of equipment through the Whitecaps Community Foundation’s annual equipment drive.

Reading Program & Book Donation

The Whitecaps Community Foundation Reading Program is in its 12th year of helping area school children enjoy Whitecaps baseball while promoting reading. Children from area elementary schools who read a total of 450 minutes, or 15 minutes a day, in the month of March (known nationally as Reading Month) receive two tickets to any Whitecaps game in April-June. The Foundation delivers all support materials, such as bookmarks and posters, to all participating schools at no cost. The 2016 Reading Program had involvement from 75,000 K-6 area children from 268 schools ranging from public schools to home schooled. More than 20,000 complimentary tickets were given this season to children and their families in West Michigan.

To create even more excitement during the month of March and to encourage reading after the program had finished, the Whitecaps Community Foundation donated a book to every child at Dickinson Elementary School in Grand Rapids. Dickinson Elementary is considered a high-need school within Grand Rapids and received a total of 300 books.

Pinch Hitter Program

The Pinch Hitter Program is designed to give groups in need the opportunity to experience a Whitecaps game at no cost. Non-Profit organizations are matched with program donors and receive tickets allowing those groups to attend a Whitecaps game when they otherwise would not have been able to meet the financial obligation. In 2016 the Whitecaps Community Foundation was able to match 20 groups with corporate donors and as a result donated 500 tickets to groups in need. Michigan area.

Player Community Service Award

Since 1994, community involvement has been a pillar of how the Whitecaps operate, and this does not stop at the clubhouse door. West Michigan Whitecaps players are given the opportunity to volunteer throughout the community each season and in 2016, 30 players volunteered over 500 hours during the season. Players visited schools to encourage reading, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Veteran’s home as well as other locations in the West Michigan area. This season three players won the Inaugural Whitecaps Community Service Award, given to players who had the most impact within the community: Pitcher Sandy Baez, Outfielder Rashad Brown and Infielder Will Allen. Each of these players volunteered more than 50 hours of their time from April through August.

50/50 Program

Throughout the 2016 season, The Whitecaps Community Foundation helped non-profits raise funds by using the West Michigan Whitecaps facilities. Twelve non-profits raised $29,175 over the course of the season participating in the 50/50 raffle program. Non-profits took half of the $29,175 to use at their own discretion, while the winner took the other half. The Whitecaps Community Foundation had 13 of its own 50/50 raffles and managed to raise $30,760 for its programs in 2016.

The final line for 2016: With donations and fundraising efforts, the Whitecaps Community Foundation was able to give out more than $552,716 to local children and their families in 2016. All of these programs were considered by the Midwest League in choosing the West Michigan Whitecaps as its John Henry Moss Community Service Award winner and MiLB nominee.

Winners of all five of MiLB’s post-season awards, including the Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award, the John Henry Moss Community Service Award, the Larry MacPhail Award, the John H. Johnson President’s Award, and Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year Award, will be announced at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Washington, D.C. in December.

The Whitecaps open the 2017 season at home on Thursday, April 6 at 6:35 p.m. against the South Bend Cubs. Season tickets and mini plans will go on sale October 25 and can be purchased by calling the Whitecaps at 616-784-4131. Tickets for groups of 20 or more, including private party areas, will go on sale in November.

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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

10th Annual Canadians Thanksgiving Delivers Again

Save-On-Foods Store Manager Kevin Smith delivers a family-sized turkey in advance of the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.

(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium – Vancouver, B.C.) – The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club in co-operation with Save-On-Foods and The Salvation Army spent Wednesday afternoon helping 100 local families in need with some holiday cheer in advance of the upcoming Thanksgiving Weekend.

Save-On-Foods generously donated 100 family-sized turkeys with serving trays and instructions on how to properly cook the meal to a number of local families that had been put forth by The Salvation Army.

“We are so fortunate to have organizations like the Vancouver Canadians and Save-On-Foods come forward and make a difference with many of our families who will be able to enjoy a warm meal this upcoming weekend,” stated Salvation Army Major James Hagglund who along with his staff, the C’s and Save-On-Foods were on-hand in Vancouver to personally hand out the turkeys.

“Canadians Thanksgiving” was the first annual community initiative to be put in place by owners Jake Kerr and Jeff Mooney as this year marked the 10th anniversary of this impactful community partnership. Since 2007, the Canadians have provided more than 1,000 local families with family-sized turkeys and ways to come together to enjoy the holiday season.

The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club wishes to thank both Save-On-Foods and The Salvation Army for both their generosity and effort to bring these families together and make a difference in our community.

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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Trick-Or-Treat with Mason this Halloween!

COLUMBIA, SC – The costume is picked out. The candy bag will soon be over-flowing. Now, don’t miss your chance to enjoy the trick-or-treating with Mason! Fireflies Kids Club members (Not a Kids Club member? Sign up now) who submit an essay of 100 words or less titled, “Why I Want to Trick-or-Treat with Mason,” will have the chance to go door-to-door on Halloween with Columbia’s most adored Firefly.

Mason will join the winning youngster and his or her family and friends for a fun-filled hour of trick-or-treating on October 31. Essays can be dropped off at Spirit Communications Park, mailed or emailed to Mason:

Mason@ColumbiaFireflies.com

Attn: Mason

Spirit Communications Park

1640 Freed Street

Columbia, SC 29201

All submissions must be received by October 19 at 5:00 p.m. and Kids Club members are urged to include their names and contact information in their essays. Winners will be notified on October 24th.

Happy Halloween from Mason and the Fireflies!

Not a Kids Club member? Sign up now. It’s free to join and open to all kids 12 and younger.

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About the Columbia Fireflies

The Columbia Fireflies are the South Atlantic League affiliate of the New York Mets. The Fireflies play games across the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, including against in-state rivals Charleston and Greenville. The team partnered with the city of Columbia and Hughes Development to construct Spirit Communications Park, a multi-use outdoor sports and entertainment venue at the center of the Commons at BullStreet development. The Columbia Fireflies are owned by Hardball Capital, owners of the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League and the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League. For more information, visit www.ColumbiaFireflies.com, or follow the Fireflies on Twitter (@ColaFireflies), Facebook (facebook.com/columbiafireflies) and all popular social media platforms.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Chasers Set All-Time Charitable Giving Mark

The Omaha Storm Chasers set an all-time record in charitable giving for the fourth consecutive year in 2016. In total, the organization donated $768,695 to local charities this year, an increase of $82,558 compared to last year’s top mark.

“Remaining a cornerstone of charitable giving is imperative to what this organization stands for,” said Martie Cordaro, President and General Manager of the Omaha Storm Chasers. “With the visible presence and community center that Werner Park has become, we have a responsibility to Sarpy County and the Omaha Metro to give back and address needs in our community.”

The Storm Chasers organization provided a platform for 74 non-profit organizations at Werner Park as its Community Organization of the Night. The McDonalds and Huber Chevrolet Hurl the Pearl promotion also raised a record number of $20,663 for the Ronald McDonald House. In addition, over $23,000 was donated to local charities including Let’s Go Miles, Nebraska Organ Recovery and Methodist Hospital Foundation through four Game-Worn Jersey Auctions, with players and coaches wearing specialty jerseys.

The organization remained visible throughout the Omaha Metro, with mascots and players combining for over 420 appearances in the community. The Storm Chasers front office also combined for 932 hours of community service in 2016.

A full overview of the Storm Chasers’ 2016 Community Relations efforts can be found online at www.omahastormchasers.com/community.

The Omaha Storm Chasers are the Triple-A Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, and play at Werner Park in Papillion, Sarpy County, Nebraska. For more information please visit omahastormchasers.com and follow us on Twitter @omastormchasers and at facebook.com/omahastormchasers.

The Storm Chasers return to Werner Park for Opening Night 2017 on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Dayton Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Saturday at Fifth Third Field

The Alzheimer’s Association invites you to join them at the Dayton Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, October 8. The Walk will be held at Fifth Third Field – home of the Dayton Dragons. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m., and the Opening Ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. The Walk will start following the opening ceremonies.

The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is the world’s largest Alzheimer’s awareness and fundraising event. Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, this inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to reclaim the future for millions affected by the sixth-leading cause of death.

By participating in the Walk, you will help fuel the Alzheimer’s Association’s mission-related initiatives of research, and care and support in the Miami Valley.

For more information and to register for the Walk, visit alz.org/walk or call (800) 272-3900.

Alzheimer’s disease is an epidemic, currently affecting more than 200,000 individuals in the state of Ohio. With your help, we can end this devastating disease together. The end of Alzheimer’s starts with you. Will you join us on October 8?

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Missing Child From 51s Stadium Signage Found

          

LAS VEGAS: The Las Vegas 51s professional baseball team, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, announced today that a missing child seen on 51s signage at Cashman Field this past season has been found and returned home safely.

            Stephanie Swanson was safely located in Henderson, Nev., on September 21, 2016. The BairFind signage location was at the front entrance of the ballpark.

            The BairFind Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding missing children. The Foundation points out that the number one proved method to finding missing children is to have as many eyes as possible “looking.” If you or someone you know has any information on the whereabouts of a missing child, please call 1-800-THE-LOST and the website is www.BairFind.org

The 51s will open their 35th season in the Silver State on Thursday, April 6 at El Paso, Texas against the Chihuahuas, Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The 2017 home opener is on Tuesday, April 11 against the Fresno Grizzlies, Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, at Cashman Field at 7:05 p.m.

2017 season tickets and mini-plan packages (11, 22, 36-game plans) are available by calling the 51s office at (702) 943-7200. Individual game tickets for the 71-game home schedule will go on sale in March.

Official licensed 51s team merchandise is available on the “Team Shop” section of the website.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Dragons Website Going Pink in October

Dayton, Ohio – The Dayton Dragons have gone pink during the month of October. In partnership with Kettering Health Network, the Dragons have turned their website pink to support the upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The Dragons website, www.daytondragons.com, will remain pink to help draw attention to the efforts by Kettering Health Network to increase Breast Cancer awareness in the Miami Valley.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between ages 40 and 55. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and it is estimated that over 40,000 lives will be lost to breast cancer in 2016. And while the breast cancer diagnosis rate has increased, there has been a steady drop in the overall breast cancer death rate since the early 1990’s.

You can help win the fight. The walk and donations go directly to the support, transportation, recovery and other needs that arise with the diagnosis of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society also invests in groundbreaking breast cancer research to better understand, prevent, find and treat the disease.

The 2016 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk will be at Fifth Third Field on October 15 at 9:00 a.m. This event is part of a national fundraising effort. In 2015 alone, over 1 million walkers across the country collected more than $60 million to help fight this disease.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.