OceanFirst Foundation donated $30,000 to local military-based charities in 2010 as part of the Home Runs for Heroes program with the BlueClaws.
Home Runs for Heroes, presented by OceanFirst Foundation, 92.7 WOBM and 1160 WOBM-AM, pairs nine military-based charities with positions on the field (including designated hitter, not including pitcher).
Every time a BlueClaws hit a home run at FirstEnergy Park, one of the nine charities received a donation from OceanFirst Foundation.
“When our young men and women leave to serve their country, they leave families behind here in the States. We support those organizations that help those families and we support those organizations that help our soldiers when they come home,” said OceanFirst Bank President Vito Nardelli.
Army Emergency Relief-Fort Dix led the way with $8,000, $7,000 of which came courtesy of home runs by BlueClaws first baseman Jonathan Singleton.
VETGROUP, which benefitted from five home runs by BlueClaws catcher Sebastian Valle, earned $6,000.
Below are the 2010 standings in full:
| Organization | Position | Home Runs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army Emergency Relief-Fort Dix | 1B | 8 | $8,000 |
| VETGROUP | C | 6 | $6,000 |
| American Red Cross | RF | 4 | $4,000 |
| Catholic Charities | CF | 3 | $3,000 |
| Navy/Marine Relief-Lakehurst | LF | 3 | $3,000 |
| NJ National Guard Family Readiness | SS | 2 | $2,000 |
| A.R.M.S | DH | 2 | $2,000 |
| Navy/Marine Relief-Earle | 2B | 1 | $1,000 |
| Army Emergency Relief-Fort Monmouth | 3B | 0 | $1,000 |
Founded in 1996, OceanFirst Foundation is the first foundation in the country to be established by a bank as part of an initial public offering. OceanFirst’s contributions to local charities continue to grow. In 2009, OceanFirst Foundation donated more than $1.2 million to community initiatives. OceanFirst Foundation has contributed approximately $20 million to over 600 local charities in Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex counties since its inception. Its four priorities include Housing, Health and Wellness, Improving the Quality of Life, and Youth Development. For more information, visit www.OceanFirstFdn.org.
