Archives for January 2021

A Wild Idea: Proceeds of Shop Sales to benefit Micah Hyde’s IMagINe for Youth Foundation

 

We didn’t get to have Micah and the boys at the ballpark this summer, but we can’t wait to watch them on the field on Saturday against Indianapolis! In honor of Wild Card Weekend, we had a wild idea to support Micah’s great efforts off the field. Now through Sunday,

We didn’t get to have Micah and the boys at the ballpark this summer, but we can’t wait to watch them on the field on Saturday against Indianapolis!

In honor of Wild Card Weekend, we had a wild idea to support Micah’s great efforts off the field. Now through Sunday, we are donating a portion of all Bisons.com Online Shop Sales to Micah’s charity, the IMagINe for Youth Foundation!

>>>SHOP BISONS.COM NOW!

We didn’t get to have a softball game last year, so here’s a great way to support our favorite Bills safety and the greatest onside kick recoverer in NFL history! Just order some great Bisons caps, apparel or merchandise and 23% OF ALL SALES (in honor of Micah’s number) will go to his great foundation!

Let’s show our BuffaLove to another great cause and Let’s Go Buffalo this weekend against Indy!!!

About IMagINe for Youth

IMagINe if you were capable of helping a child discover their skills and build their confidence. IMagINe if you were able to join a cause that empowered children to live a healthier life style while achieving more. IMagINe if you were the support behind a child flourishing into a promising athlete. IMagINe if you helped instill the basic fundamentals needed for a youngster to lead a more successful, promising future. IMagINe if you could simply make a child happy. It’s possible. Together, we will do this. Learn more at IMagINeforYouth.org.

Greenville Drive, Inspired By Community Support, Continued Winning Ways In 2020 Despite Cancelled Season

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Despite the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) season, the Greenville Drive continued to rack up wins, finishing 2020 and entering 2021 strong with multiple honors and accolades, both locally and nationally. These awards come as an acknowledgement of the franchise’s excellence in management, unwavering commitment to community service and advocacy for timely issues. Most importantly, the awards recognize the team’s and the Greenville area’s perseverance in the face of the unprecedented challenges of the past year.

Local Awards & Recognitions

The Drive’s 2020 local awards come across a range of categories, from education and social justice to economic empowerment and positive growth.

  • Urban League of the Upstate’s Corporate Citizen Award: The Drive was honored as the Urban League of the Upstate’s Corporate Citizen Award for its shared vision for and support of economic empowerment, educational opportunities and the guarantee of civil rights for the underserved in our area, issues that took on additional significance this year.
  • Southernside Neighborhood Goodwill Ambassadors of the Year: Greenville’s Southernside neighborhood, which represents a large portion of Greenville’s urban core, recognized Drive owners Craig and Vicki Brown as Goodwill Ambassadors of the Year for their efforts to increase access to commercial centers and recreational space, enhance employment and economic empowerment, and strengthen community character.
  • Greenville County Schools Partner of the Year: Greenville County Schools, a longtime partner of the Drive, named the team its 2020 Partner of the Year in recognition of its ongoing educational programming, student and teacher advocacy and charitable support.
  • Greenville Literacy Association Partner of the Year: Greenville Literacy Association awarded the Drive this prestigious accolade based on the team’s literacy and employment programs and initiatives aimed at individual and community improvement and success.
  • Greenville News Best Local Sports Team: Based entirely on community voting, the Drive was named the Upstate’s favorite sports team, beating out all local professional and even collegiate teams and demonstrating the high regard the community has for its efforts.

Major National Recognition & A Significant Promotion

The Drive’s wins continued with a major national accolade.

  • Freitas Award (Nation’s Top Single A Franchise): Based on the achievements outlined above, Baseball America honored the Drive with the Bob Freitas Award, honoring the nation’s top Single-A franchise. The Drive earned accolades for its relevant & powerful community programming as well as its ongoing operational excellence.
  • Boston Red Sox Advanced-A Status: Despite the most challenging season in MiLB’s 100+ year history, and during a period of significant contraction of MiLB clubs across the country, the Drive maintained & extended its 17+ year affiliation history with the Boston Red Sox and beginning in 2021 will play as the Red Sox Advanced-A level affiliate.

Business Success and Continued Strong Partnerships

The Drive also enjoyed great success in delivering value to its long-term partners and expanding its sponsor base throughout the past year despite the Drive’s cancelled 2020 season. While the season cancellation made it difficult for many sports organizations to continue to offer visibility and brand recognition for its sponsors, the Drive’s strong partner relationships and innovation in modifying signature events and creating new programming to accommodate COVID restrictions allowed them to not only maintain their current partnership base but also to add several new, high-profile community partners to its portfolio.

“2020 has been an extraordinary year for our entire community, and the Drive is no different,” noted Greenville Drive Owner & Team President Craig Brown. “Like the Greenville community, the Drive worked to take these changes in stride, adapting and adjusting to challenges and taking them head-on, and, as these awards demonstrate, ultimately overcoming. These honors not only demonstrate our relentless commitment to giving back to our community but more importantly, our community’s continued support of and belief in our organization. In many ways, 2020 actually became our best and most impactful year ever – a true testament to the unique & special nature of the Upstate community, and how lucky we are to call this place home. We are deeply thankful for our fans, grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to give back and humbled by the meaning of these honors, especially in such difficult times. We are entering 2021 strong with the knowledge that we truly are better together.”

PawSox conclude 2020 with $10,000 donation to The Tomorrow Fund

 

PAWTUCKET, RI – The PawSox Foundation wrapped up the holiday season by making a $10,000 donation to one of the club’s longtime community partners in the Tomorrow Fund, a Providence based organization that provides financial assistance to families with children battling cancer.

The donation was presented on a zoom call with PawSox Front Office members and a 13-year-old Tomorrow Fund patient named Cole Robinson from Warwick, RI. Also taking part in the call was Manager Billy McMillon, Red Sox Hall of Famer and Hitting Coach Rich Gedman, and Red Sox Pitcher Tanner Houck.

“I’m glad that we were able to conclude this challenging year by making such a positive impact,” said PawSox Vice President of Baseball Operations & Community Relations, Joe Bradlee. “We look forward to continuing our support for The Tomorrow Fund and children like Cole in 2021 and beyond.”

The donation came on the heels of the foundation’s inaugural golf tournament on October 15 at the Pawtucket Country Club, presented by Navigant Credit Union, where dollars were raised to support many of the foundation’s key programs, and longtime community partners like The Tomorrow Fund.

The contribution was also the PawSox’ fiftieth and final act of kindness in 2020, where the club conducted a wide range of good deeds in the community and supported those most affected by the pandemic. The PawSox Foundation will continue to remain active in Rhode Island and Southeastern Mass in 2021 as the club prepares for its inaugural season in Worcester.

Cardinals Teacher of the Month: Stacy Yerby, Ozark East Elementary

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Springfield Cardinals and Missouri Lottery are proud to announce Stacy Yerby of Ozark East Elementary as our Teacher of the Month.

Stacy is in her 18th year as a teacher, and her innovative teaching strategies have impressed parents and students alike for a long time in the Ozark community.

For the past six years, Stacy has built an economics unit around a pop-up restaurant that is completely designed and managed by her second graders. Her unit has been so successful that it has received years of media attention in Springfield.

“Students do all the prep work from making menus, hostessing, serving, cooking and cleaning,” a Missouri Lottery Teacher of the Month nominator explained. “Hundreds of people come to their one-day restaurant. Throughout the years, money raised from these events has been donated to many good causes from an ill student’s medical bills to the Ronald McDonald house, the PTA and more.’

“Stacy is so much more than a 2nd-grade teacher. She’s a humanitarian.”

Stacy’s dedication to creating a unique, interactive and memorable learning environment for her students year after year is why she’s our latest Teacher of the Month, presented by Missouri Lottery.

To show gratitude for their important contributions to the Southwest Missouri community, Stacy and each future Teacher of the Month will receive one 2021 Luxury Suite Rental with food and beverage for up to 18 people, one Ceremonial First Pitch, recognition on the Cardinals Video Board and 18 Cardinals Caps, all made possible by Missouri Lottery.

Created as a way to honor local-area educators from all grade levels, the Cardinals Teacher of the Month Award program, presented by Missouri Lottery, is an opportunity for the Southwest Missouri community to shine the spotlight on teachers who are making a difference in the lives of their students during these challenging times.

One hundred percent of Missouri Lottery profits are earmarked for education. In fact, since Lottery began 34 years ago, it has generated more than $6.5 BILLION for the state and public education.

To learn more about the Teacher of the Month award program, presented by Missouri Lottery, or to nominate Teacher of the Month, you can visit springfieldcardinals.com/molotteryteachers today.

Dayton Community, Day Air Credit Union, Dayton Dragons Help Raise Over $16K for Dayton Foodbank

 

DECEMBER 22, 2020; DAYTON, OH — The Dayton Dragons Foundation, along with Dayton Air Credit Union, launched a special holiday online 50/50 raffle benefitting The Dayton Foodbank. The 50/50 went live on November 30th and ended on December 10th. Over $32,700 was the final tally, with $16,395 each going to The Dayton Foodbank and the lucky 50/50 winner, a man from Springboro.

There are thousands of other non-profits doing really great work, so we would like to thank the Dragons and Day Air Credit Union for selecting The Dayton Foodbank,” noted Foodbank CEO Michelle Riley. “The money raised will help provide over 98,000 meals for those in need this holiday season.”

“Each season, we host 50/50 raffles inside Day Air Ballpark and are able to support various causes in our community through the Dragons Foundation” said Dragons President, Robert Murphy. “For the second time this year, we’re excited to host an online sales effort to benefit a great local charity … The Dayton Foodbank. We are also very pleased to partner with Day Air Credit Union in making this happen. We feel it’s a wonderful way to help those in need during the holiday season.”

Day Air Credit Union Director of Marketing Joe Eckley added, “It was amazing watching the dollars raised add up over the course of this campaign, as the Dayton community rallied together for a great cause.”

Earlier in August, the Dragons Foundation held its first online 50/50, raising over $26,000, with $13,000 going to the winner, a woman from Kettering, and $6,500 each to the COVID-19 Response Fund for Greater Dayton and the African American Community Fund through the Dayton Foundation.

More Information: The Dayton Dragons are the Midwest League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and play at beautiful Day Air Ballpark in downtown Dayton, easily accessible from Interstate 75.