PULASKI, Va. – The Pulaski Yankees today announced the organization made over $282,000 in charitable contributions during the 2019 calendar year, an increase of over $250,000 from 2018. Through the new Calfee Cares community relations program, the Yankees made $253,587 in gift in kind donations and $28,833 in cash donations from in-stadium fundraising efforts.
“When we introduced Calfee Cares in May of 2019, our goal was to prioritize our community relations efforts and continually find and create opportunities to give back to the fans, businesses, and community organizations in Pulaski who support us all season long,” said Pulaski Yankees General Manager Betsy Haugh. “We could not be more thrilled with the results from 2019 and the contributions our organization and players made last season.”
Yankees players and staff members totaled 536 hours in volunteer efforts and community appearances during 2019 across more than 35 different events, including the Yankees’ annual HOPE Week (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) initiative presented by Gay & Neel, Inc.
22 of the team’s 34 regular-season home games had a community tie, most notably Agriculture Night 2.0 presented by Farm Credit of the Virginias which led to a $4,250 donation to the Virginia Tech Agriculture Extension and Pulaski County 4-H, and fan favorites such as Heroes Night (SERVPRO of Pulaski County) and Military Appreciation Night (Pulaski Health & Rehabilitation Center).
The Yankees participated in five MiLB Charities national initiatives, including Sun Safety Awareness (American Cancer Society), Domestic Violence Awareness (Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation), Stars & Stripes Caps (New Era Cap Co.), MiLB CommUNITY (Allegiant Airlines), and Hope at Bat (American Cancer Society).
Calfee Park also hosted three community-focused special events – the first-ever Pulaski Yankees 5K benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia, Homers for Hearts benefitting the American Heart Association, and Guns and Hoses benefitting the New River Valley Agency on Aging.
Additionally, the Yankees began partnerships with the American Cancer Society (also an MiLB Charity Partner) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia, joining a lineup of local community partners that includes Shelor Motor Mile Growing the Future and the Pulaski County 4-H.
“Our community partnerships are so important to us and our efforts to give back to the community,” Haugh said. “We look forward to working with these four again in 2020 and introducing a few new community partnerships for the coming season.”
Including Pulaski’s $282,420, the Appalachian League’s reported contributions from 2019 total $2,347,712.
Season tickets and flex packs are now on sale for the 2020 Pulaski Yankees season, which gets underway at Motor Mile Field at Calfee Park on June 22. Tickets can be purchased online at pulaskiyankees.net, by phone at (540) 980-1070, or in person at the Calfee Park offices. Individual game tickets will go on sale on April 1.
The Pulaski Yankees are the Advanced Rookie level affiliate of the New York Yankees playing in the Appalachian League. Pulaski is celebrating its 54th season in the Appalachian League in 2019. Calfee Park has won league championships in 1948, 1969, 1986, 1991 and 2013. Motor Mile Field at Calfee Park opened in 1935 and was renovated for the team’s first season as a Yankees affiliate in 2015. The Pulaski Yankees were named the recipient of the John H. Johnson President’s Award, Minor League Baseball’s top honor, in 2019. For more information, please visit www.pulaskiyankees.net or follow the Pulaski Yankees on social media, @PulaskiYanks (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.