Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 1, 2017) – The Fort Myers Miracle, Advanced-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, are proud to announce Mason Wilbanks as their 2017 Florida State League/Miami Marlins Scholarship Award winner. This is the eighteenth (18) straight year for the program, and it is funded by the Miami Marlins and the Florida State League. Each scholarship has a monetary value of $1,500 and is presented to a student employee, child or grandchild of an employee. A total of 216 scholarships have been awarded to qualified applicants since the inception of the program.
“This program is intended to encourage and reward our college summer interns by reinforcing to them that education is key to success in life with or without baseball,” stated Miracle Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Ben Hemmen. “We thank the Miami Marlins for providing a generous contribution to the Florida State League scholarship program and hope to see this partnership continued for many years to come.”
A rising senior at Florida Gulf Coast University, Mason came to Hammond Stadium each day with a smile on his face and a willingness to help the team in every way possible throughout the summer. He has been a part of the intern team since 2015 when he worked during the Twins’ Spring Training season. The native of Fleming Beach, Florida and graduate of Fleming Beach High School is expected to graduate from FGCU in the spring of 2018 with a degree in Business Management with a Sports Concentration.
“I am blessed and grateful for the opportunities the Fort Myers Miracle have given me,” said Wilbanks. “I would like to thank the Florida State League and the Miracle for selecting me for such a prestigious award. It has truly been a beneficial experience that will be useful as I pursue future endeavors.”
All winners were guests at Marlins Park on July 30, 2017 and were recognized in an on-field pregame introduction before the Miami Marlins took on the Cincinnati Reds. Wilbanks was joined by the following 2017 winners from around the Florida State League:
Bradenton Marauders: Joseph Schneider
Charlotte Stone Crabs: Mackenna Stella Radunz
Clearwater Threshers: Cameron Soltau
Daytona Tortugas: Cameron Wood/Anderson Rathbun
Dunedin Blue Jays: Kelsey McIntosh
Fort Myers Miracle: Mason Wilbanks
Jupiter Hammerheads: Feliciano Grimaldo
Lakeland Flying Tigers: Lexi Hicks
Palm Beach Cardinals: Kyle Nagy
St. Lucie Mets: Mario Pietroluongo
Tampa Yankees: Lyndsay Kane
To stay up to date on upcoming promotional nights, follow the Miracle online at Miraclebaseball.com or through social media; Twitter: @MiracleBaseball, Instagram: fortmyersmiracle, Facebook: Fort Myers Miracle, Snapchat: ftmyersmiracle. To purchase tickets, visit MiracleBaseball.com/tickets. For information or questions regarding the 2017 25th Anniversary Season, call the Miracle offices at (239) 768-4210.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.