• Stories by Subject
  • Stories by State
  • COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS

Pirates Visit Everyday Blessings, Inc. in Sarasota

August 12, 2012

Facility is a home to keep foster children together with their siblings

Members of the Gulf Coast League Pirates, who play their games at Pirate City in Bradenton, visited the Everyday Blessings, Inc. residential facility in Sarasota Thursday. Members of the team have visited the facility several times during the last four months as part of the Pirates Community Commitment Program.

EBI provides foster care to sibling groups to keep siblings from being separated while awaiting permanent placement. The Sarasota facility opened in February. The original facility is in Hillsborough County.

When players visit, they eat dinner with the children and live-in caretakers at the residential facility. After dinner, the players take part in outdoor sports activities and games with the children. There are currently 12 children housed in Sarasota with EBI, ranging in age from three to 11 years old. All of the children are part of a sibling group.

Emily Dutton, the Sarasota Residential Manager for EBI, said the children love it when the players come to visit. “I think they enjoy seeing there are other people in the community that understand and support them,” Dutton said.

Many of the children have had to face abuse and neglect in their old homes prior to being placed with EBI. “It’s important for them to see that through hard work you can accomplish your goals and aspirations despite circumstances that aren’t always ideal,” Dutton said. “The young men who come to visit understand that life isn’t always perfect or easy. Some of them have dealt with tough circumstances to get where they are now.”

The Pirates Community Commitment Program was created in 2008 to help players in the Pirates organization give back to the communities they play in. Players are required to do 10 hours of community service during the season, but most do many more.

Tagged as : Children's Health and Development, Family Relief/Resources, Florida, Gulf Coast League, Gulf Coast League Pirates, Pittsburgh Pirates, Shelters/Housing, Volunteering { }

Welcome to clubphilanthropy.com!

Minor League Baseball clubs have been actively involved in their communities for many years. For the first time, their activities and contributions will be chronicled on this site.

Clubs don’t publicize all of their activity, so these stories represent a mere fraction of the contributions MiLB clubs make to their communities every year.

Categories

  • ►Aberdeen Ironbirds (3)
  • ►Akron RubberDucks (30)
  • ►Albuquerque Isotopes (21)
  • ►Altoona Curve (20)
  • ►Amarillo Sod Poodles (14)
  • ►Arkansas Travelers (2)
  • ►Asheville Tourists (4)
  • ►Auburn Doubledays (4)
  • ►Augusta GreenJackets (22)
  • ►Batavia Muckdogs (15)
  • ►Beloit Snappers (16)
  • ►Biloxi Shuckers (20)
  • ►Binghamtom Rumble Ponies (4)
  • ►Birmingham Barons (16)
  • ►Bluefield Blue Jays (4)
  • ►Boise Hawks (8)
  • ►Bowie Baysox (28)
  • ►Bowling Green Hot Rods (12)
  • ►Bradenton Marauders (22)
  • ►Bristol Pirates (3)
  • ►Brooklyn Cyclones (22)
  • ►Buffalo Bisons (38)
  • ►Burlington Bees (6)
  • ►Burlington Royals (2)
  • ►Carolina Mudcats (17)
  • ►Cedar Rapids Kernels (39)
  • ►Charleston Dirty Birds (1)
  • ►Charleston RiverDogs (93)
  • ►Charlotte Knights (26)
  • ►Charlotte Stone Crabs (6)
  • ►Chattanooga Lookouts (2)
  • ►Clearwater Threshers (40)
  • ►Clinton LumberKings (5)
  • ►Colorado Springs Sky Sox (20)
  • ►Columbia Fireflies (36)
  • ►Columbus Clippers (8)
  • ►Connecticut Tigers (14)
  • ►Corpus Christi Hooks (32)
  • ►Danville Braves (15)
  • ►Dayton Dragons (126)
  • ►Daytona Tortugas (21)
  • ►Delmarva Shorebirds (60)
  • ►Down East Wood Ducks (3)
  • ►Dunedin Blue Jays (14)
  • ►Durham Bulls (18)
  • ►El Paso Chihuahuas (19)
  • ►Elizabethton Twins (4)
  • ►Erie SeaWolves (12)
  • ►Eugene Emeralds (10)
  • ►Everett AquaSox (10)
  • ►Fayetteville Woodpeckers (11)
  • ►Florida Fire Frogs (3)
  • ►Fort Myers Miracle (25)
  • ►Fort Wayne TinCaps (53)
  • ►Frederick Keys (19)
  • ►Fredericksburg Nationals (28)
  • ►Fresno Grizzlies (17)
  • ►Frisco RoughRiders (27)
  • ►Grand Junction Rockies (2)
  • ►Great Falls Voyagers (2)
  • ►Great Lakes Loons (27)
  • ►Greensboro Grasshoppers (5)
  • ►Greenville Drive (110)
  • ►Gwinnett Stripers (50)
  • ►Hagerstown Suns (3)
  • ►Harrisburg Senators (13)
  • ►Hartford Yard Goats (10)
  • ►Hickory Crawdads (25)
  • ►Hillsboro Hops (12)
  • ►Hudson Valley Renegades (7)
  • ►Idaho Falls Chukars (6)
  • ►Indianapolis Indians (29)
  • ►Inland Empire 66ers (13)
  • ►Iowa Cubs (7)
  • ►Jackson Generals (9)
  • ►Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (41)
  • ►Jersey Shore BlueClaws (136)
  • ►Johnson City Cardinals (4)
  • ►Jupiter Hammerheads (2)
  • ►Kane County Cougars (41)
  • ►Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (18)
  • ►Kingsport Mets (1)
  • ►Lake County Captains (10)
  • ►Lake Elsinore Storm (4)
  • ►Lakeland Flying Tigers (12)
  • ►Lancaster JetHawks (7)
  • ►Lansing Lugnuts (2)
  • ►Las Vegas Aviators (9)
  • ►Lehigh Valley IronPigs (41)
  • ►Lexington Legends (69)
  • ►Louisville Bats (23)
  • ►Lowell Spinners (15)
  • ►Lynchburg Hillcats (17)
  • ►Mahoning Valley Scrappers (31)
  • ►Memphis Redbirds (8)
  • ►Midland RockHounds (5)
  • ▼MiLB (33)
    • Drillers to Unveil Jackie Robinson Mural
    • Cougars Announce Winter Coat and Boot Drive Begins December 2
    • MVDSA Buddy Walk coming to Fifth Third Field on Saturday, Sept. 28
    • Minor League Baseball, American Cancer Society "Cover Your Bases" Sun Safety Initiative Gets Underway This Memorial Day
    • Minor League Baseball and BUSH'S® Beans donate over 10,000 pounds of canned and dry food goods to local food banks
    • Minors teams raise over $300,000 for disaster relief
    • Prevention Night / Alcohol-Free Event Announced
    • Help The Blue Wahoos and Whataburger Support USO Northwest Florida
    • Rock Cats Extend Thanks to Local Community with Annual Thanksgiving Food Donations
    • Sand Gnats Team President to Get Prostate Exam While Singing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'
    • Sand Gnats to Honor Military on Thursday with Free Admission to JCB Military Appreciation Night
    • Free Baseball Skillz & Drillz Clinic this Saturday
    • "Pink the Park" is Back for the Second Straight Year!
    • Kia Country Pink in the Park This Saturday
    • Jacob G. Smith Wins Doubles for Technology Grant
    • MiLB donates to Snohomish United Way
    • Cancer Awareness Night with a Jersey Silent Auction Aug. 10th
    • Jamestown Jammers to Hold Can Food Drive
    • Marlins, FSL continue scholarship program for 2013
    • New York-Penn League Announces 2013 Scholarship Competition
    • Sand Gnats Annual 'Pink in the Park' this Saturday, May 11
    • Rock Cats to Host Welcome Home Player Dinner for Connecticut Children's Medical Center
    • Community award named for Moss
    • School Supply Drive Throughout July
    • Money From Last Homestand Given to Red Cross
    • Bears to Accept Donations for Fire Victims
    • Pirates Visit Everyday Blessings, Inc. in Sarasota
    • Saturday is Prostate Cancer Awareness Night
    • Cats Receive Honor from the Friendship Service Center
    • PET ADOPTION NIGHT
    • Cancer Awareness Night presented by Supercuts
    • Pirates Extending Spring Training Players Go Bowling For Great Cause!
    • FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE PARTNERS WITH MARLINS TO AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS
  • ►Mississippi Braves (29)
  • ►Missoula Paddleheads (19)
  • ►Mobile BayBears (6)
  • ►Modesto Nuts (11)
  • ►Montgomery Biscuits (2)
  • ►Myrtle Beach Pelicans (38)
  • ►Nashville Sounds (28)
  • ►New Hampshire Fisher Cats (32)
  • ►New Orleans Baby Cakes (5)
  • ►Norfolk Tides (18)
  • ►Northwest Arkansas Naturals (47)
  • ►Norwich Sea Unicorns (2)
  • ►Oklahoma City Dodgers (68)
  • ►Omaha Storm Chasers (51)
  • ►Orem Owlz (3)
  • ►Palm Beach Cardinals (4)
  • ►Pawtucket Red Sox (67)
  • ►Pensacola Blue Wahoos (50)
  • ►Peoria Chiefs (12)
  • ►Portland Sea Dogs (45)
  • ►Princeton Rays (7)
  • ►Pulaski Yankees (17)
  • ►Quad Cities River Bandits (24)
  • ►Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (9)
  • ►Reading Fightin Phils (72)
  • ►Reno Aces (37)
  • ►Richmond Flying Squirrels (34)
  • ►Rochester Red Wings (26)
  • ►Rocket City Trash Pandas (8)
  • ►Rocky Mountain Vibes (2)
  • ►Rome Braves (27)
  • ►Round Rock Express (34)
  • ►Sacramento River Cats (25)
  • ►Salem Red Sox (13)
  • ►Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (8)
  • ►Salt Lake Bees (38)
  • ►San Antonio Missions (12)
  • ►San Jose Giants (39)
  • ►Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (55)
  • ►Somerset Patriots (13)
  • ►South Bend Cubs (58)
  • ►Spokane Indians (26)
  • ►Springfield Cardinals (42)
  • ►St. Lucie Mets (16)
  • ►St. Paul Saints (5)
  • ►State College Spikes (23)
  • ►Staten Island Yankees (16)
  • ►Stockton Ports (18)
  • ►Sugar Land Space Cowboys (3)
  • ►Syracuse Mets (15)
  • ►Tacoma Rainiers (6)
  • ►Tampa Tarpons (34)
  • ►Tennessee Smokies (24)
  • ►Toledo Mud Hens (47)
  • ►Trenton Thunder (22)
  • ►Tri-City Dust Devils (2)
  • ►Tri-City ValleyCats (28)
  • ►Tulsa Drillers (25)
  • ►Vancouver Canadians (25)
  • ►Vermont Lake Monsters (22)
  • ►Visalia Rawhide (7)
  • ►West Michigan Whitecaps (8)
  • ►West Virginia Black Bears (1)
  • ►West Virginia Power (11)
  • ►Wichita Wind Surge (4)
  • ►Williamsport Crosscutters (46)
  • ►Wilmington Blue Rocks (30)
  • ►Winston-Salem Dash (32)
  • ►Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (76)
  • ►Worcester Red Sox (18)