Isotopes Support Operation Christmas Child

Toy Drive at Isotopes Park Pro Shop This Saturday

Albuquerque-IsotopesAlbuquerque Isotopes fans are invited to join Orbit this Saturday at the Isotopes Park Pro Shop from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. as the Isotopes will be hosting an Operation Christmas Child toy drive, the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind that uses gift-filled shoeboxes to share God’s love in a tangible way with needy children around the world.

Fans are encouraged to bring either a packed shoebox or “shoebox sized” toy (such as a stuffed animal) for donation to Operation Christmas Child. Gifts can include toys, school supplies, non-liquid hygiene items, accessories and a personal note. A $7 donation is needed to help cover the shipping cost for each box. Additional details on how to pack your shoebox can be found at samaritanspurse.org.

“ThisSamaritans-Purse-Operation-Christmas-Child is a great organization and a great event that is able to provide a little bit of Christmas to children around the world,” said John Traub, General Manager of the Isotopes. “We are thrilled to be able to open our Pro Shop for a great cause like this and invite our fans to contribute.”

Orbit will be on hand to welcome guests and select prizes will be given away throughout the day. The Isotopes Pro Shop will open exclusively for this event from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has collected and delivered more than 113 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in over 150 countries through Operation Christmas Child. In 2014, Samaritan’s Purse hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 10 million children through the Operation Christmas Child project. Shoebox gifts are collected in the United States, Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. More than 500,000 volunteers worldwide, with more than 100,000 of those in the United States, are involved in collecting, shipping, and distributing shoebox gifts.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Albuquerque Isotopes. Click here to view the original story.

Isotopes Auction Off “Dodger Blue” Jerseys

Weekend Jerseys To Benefit S.A.F.E. House Domestic Violence Shelter

Weekend "Dodger Blue" Jerseys To Benefit S.A.F.E. House Domestic Violence Shelter.
Weekend “Dodger Blue” Jerseys To Benefit S.A.F.E. House Domestic Violence Shelter.

Albuquerque-IsotopesIn recognition of “Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” the Albuquerque Isotopes will be auctioning off authentic “Dodger Blue” weekend jerseys with net proceeds benefiting S.A.F.E. House Domestic Violence Shelter. More than 40 game-worn jerseys featuring player nameplates will be auctioned off exclusively online, and an additional 26 authentic jerseys without nameplates will be auctioned.

SAFE-House“With October being domestic violence awareness month, we saw this as a great opportunity to provide a unique, game-used item to our fans and give something back to the community,” said John Traub, General Manager of the Isotopes. “S.A.F.E. House does great work in our community, and we are honored to be able to donate funds to help them fulfill their mission.”

The auction will begin Friday, October 17th, at noon MT and run through Friday, October 24, at noon MT. To bid on a jersey, visit http://isotopes.milbauctions.com. Opening bids for game-worn jerseys with nameplates will start at $180, while other authentic jerseys without a nameplate will begin at $150. Each jersey will also be accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity.

“We are truly grateful for the support we have received from the Isotopes over the last several years,” said Michele Fuller, Executive Director of S.A.F.E. House. “The jersey auction is an exceptional event because it demonstrates both their awareness of domestic violence and their commitment to helping end that violence in our community.”

Traditionally donned by Albuquerque during weekend home games, the jersey features “Isotopes” script lettering across the front with the Topes’ “A” logo on the right sleeve and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ “LA” logo on the left sleeve (see photo attached).

S.A.F.E. House Domestic Violence Shelter aims to shelter and empower survivors of intimate partner domestic violence and to improve the way New Mexico responds to domestic violence. S.A.F.E. House strives for a community that is free from all forms of oppression and violence and serves more than 1,000 families through our doors annually. S.A.F.E. House provides programming aimed at healing the wounds, breaking the cycle, and improving the lives of families in our community. More information about S.A.F.E. House Domestic Violence Shelter can be found at http://www.safehousenm.org.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Albuquerque Isotopes. Click here to view the original story.

Isotopes Raise More than $7,000 to Strike Out Cancer

Net Proceeds of Breast Cancer Awareness Homestand to Benefit Susan G. Koman of Central New Mexico

The Albuquerque Isotopes raised more than $7,000 during their Breast Cancer Awareness homestand that took place from July 26-29. In support of the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign, the Isotopes wore special pink jerseys each game of the series which were then signed and auctioned off to benefit Susan G. Komen of Central New Mexico in their fight to strike out cancer.

The top selling item in the live auction was Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp’s game-worn Isotopes jersey for $725, while the item with the highest bid in the three-day silent auction was Justin Sellers’ game-worn pink Isotopes jersey, which went for $465. The four-game homestand included ceremonial first pitches honoring breast cancer survivors, various organizations providing information to fans and a Mammogram Van provided by Lovelace Health Systems on site.

The net proceeds from the silent and live auctions totaled $7,006.40 and will benefit Susan G. Komen of Central New Mexico.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Albuquerque Isotopes. Click here to view the original story.

Isotopes “Batting for Boston” Raises Nearly $4,500

Albuquerque-IsotopesWhen called upon to help victims of the devastating events in Boston, Albuquerque responded emphatically, contributing nearly $4,500 as part of the “Batting for Boston” fundraiser last Saturday, April 20, at Isotopes Park. Over the course of five hours, more than 200 cars came through the drive-thru fundraiser, which was hosted by the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Contributions ranged from a few dollars to a check for $500.00, as people throughout the Duke City took time out of their busy day to donate to the great cause which raised $4,368.65. Proceeds from the fundraiser go directly to the One Fund Boston, Inc., created by the City of Boston to benefit the victims and their families most affected by the tragic events during the Boston Marathon.

One-fund-Boston“The generosity of the people of Albuquerque is truly amazing,” said Isotopes General Manager John Traub. “We were overwhelmed by the response of the community and we offer our profound thanks to everyone who took the time to come down to Isotopes Park and donate.”

This article originally appeared on the Isotopes’ website.  Click here to view.

‘Topes Host 130 Participants for Second Youth Baseball Clinic

The Albuquerque Isotopes hosted 130 participants in their second of two McDonalds Youth Skills Baseball Clinics on Saturday morning at Isotopes Park.

Follow an opening reception from the Isotopes team, Manager Lorenzo Bundy, hitting coach John Valentin, pitching coach Glenn Dishman, strength and conditioning coach Brandon McDaniel; pitchers Michael Antonini, Blake Johnson, Derrick Loop, Scott Rice, Will Savage; infielders Joe Becker and Alex Castellanos, and outfielders Jerry Sands and Brian Cavazos-Galvez offered one-on-one instructions to kids ages 5-15 on a variety of baseball fundamentals.

Clinic participants were divided into groups and rotated through a series of stations including; throwing, bullpen, outfield, conditioning, infield, and hitting. Each station ran nearly 30 minutes to provide ample opportunity for each participant to fully take part in all of the baseball action.

After each group had a chance to try each station, those in attendance were served lunch courtesy of McDonald’s in the picnic pavilion. ‘Topes players and coaches concluded the clinic by spending time with the participants and signing autographs.

The Isotopes hosted a combined total of 242 participants for both clinics.

‘Topes Host Over 100 Participants for Youth Baseball Clinic

The Albuquerque Isotopes hosted 112 participants in their first of two annual Youth Baseball Clinics on Saturday morning at Isotopes Park.

Follow an opening reception from the Isotopes team, Manager Lorenzo Bundy, hitting coach John Valentin, pitching coach Glenn Dishman, strength and conditioning coach Brandon McDaniel; pitchers Stephen Fife, Blake Johnson, Derrick Loop, Scott Rice, Will Savage, Cole St. Clair; infielders Joe Becker and Tyler Henson, and outfielders Jerry Sands and Brian Cavazos-Galvez offered one-on-one instructions to kids ages 5-15 on a variety of baseball fundamentals.

Clinic participants were divided into groups and rotated through a series of stations including; throwing, bullpen, outfield, conditioning, infield, and hitting. Each station ran nearly 30 minutes to provide ample opportunity for each participant to fully take part in all of the baseball action.

After each group had a chance to try each station, those in attendance were served lunch courtesy of McDonald’s in the picnic pavilion. ‘Topes players and coaches concluded the clinic by spending time with the participants and signing autographs.

‘Topes Staff Begins Belen Little League Renovations

On Tuesday, March 20, the Isotopes award-winning field staff began upgrades to Belen Little League as part of “Minor League Makeover.” The staff was met by several sponsors volunteering both time and donations to the project.

The first Albuquerque Isotopes “Minor League Makeover” turned out to be a smashing success, with Belen Little League earning a field makeover by virtue of amassing the most “Likes” in the ‘Topes’ Facebook contest.

Belen got the word out early and racked up a total of 4,718 likes and 813 shares, barely holding off West Gate Little League, which accumulated 4,682 likes. The 13 fields participating in the contest ended up generating a total of 13,865 total likes and 1,515 total shares, testament to the passion the area has for Little League baseball.

The Isotopes field staff will continue refurbishment to Belen’s Little League field throughout the day on March 20th. The Home Depot has also decided to chip in on the effort, providing fences and dugout materials. The makeover is scheduled to include field surface refurbishment, outfield fence repair, and dugout renovation.

 

 

 

Celebrity Softball Game Delivers Fun and Funds

The Albuquerque Isotopes’ first celebrity softball game turned out to an immense hit, as around 30 celebrities ended up raising $10,000 for YDI in Albuquerque.

Billed as “Breaking Bad” vs. “In Plain Sight,” the game featured actors from those two shows as well as others shooting projects in the area, such as Cobie Smulders from “How I Met Your Mother,” and even local luminaries like Mayor of Albuquerque Richard J. Berry.

Each roster also featured a number of local news celebrities including Dean Staley and Jessica Garate from KRQE 13, Jeremy Jojola from KOB 4, Chief Meterologist Joe Diaz from KOAT 7, and Nikki Stanzione and Kristen Van Dyke from New Mexico Style on KASA Fox 2. Assorted radio personalities TJ Trout (94 Rock), Buck, Dex and Baxter (104.1 The Edge), Jeff Siembieda (610 The Sports Animal) and Albuquerque Journal Sports Editor Randy Harrison also took part in the fun. Voice of the Isotopes Robert Portnoy and Myles Copeland from Big I 107.9 served as emcees.

Team “Breaking Bad” was managed by three-time Emmy Award winner Bryan Cranston, while the “In Plain Sight” side was helmed by the star of that program Mary McCormack. In the end, it was McCormack who ended up pulling all the right strings, leading the “In Plain Sight” team to an exciting 5-4 win.

The real winners, however, were Youth Development Inc. of Albuquerque, which was the recipient of $10,000 thanks to generous support from Wells Fargo.

All in all the game featured a lot of fun, a lot of funds, and a ton of smiles from both those participating and those fans watching.

Over 30 celebs took part in the Isotopes’ celebrity softball game benefiting YDI.

This story was originally posted on the Albuquerque Isotope’s website. Click here.  

Isotopes Players and Orbit Visit Tingley Hospital

Albuquerque Isotopes outfielder Dee Brown and relief pitcher Dwayne Pollok joined Orbit for a special visit to Carrie Tingley Children’s Hospital on May 27.

During their time there, the players toured rooms throughout the hospital’s Inpatient Unit, visiting with patients as well as signing autographs.

Orbit, Dee Brown and Dwane Pollok take a photo with a young fan and his father.