Bradenton Marauders

2013 Marauders Honored for Community Commitment

September 28, 2013

Matt Benedict and Nick Kingham received commendations for their community service in 2013

A pair of 2013 Marauders received “Pirates Community Commitment Awards” at PNC Park before the Pirates faced the Padres on Tuesday, September 17. Matt Benedict received an award as a Marauder, while Nick Kingham was honored as the Altoona Curve representative. Both right-handed pitchers completed an exemplary amount of community service and showed great dedication to their communities during the 2013 season.

As part of the Pirates Community Commitment Program, each minor league player must complete 10 hours of community service in their affiliate’s community each season. Many players go above and beyond the 10 hour mark. The 2013 Bradenton Marauders completed more than 300 hours of community service through the program.

Near the conclusion of each affiliate’s regular season, the Pirates present one player from each affiliate with the “Pirates Community Commitment Award” in recognition of his commitment to his community and the program. The Pirates will fly each award winner to Pittsburgh to receive the award as part of a special on-field ceremony at PNC Park that will also include the presenting of the team’s annual Roberto Clemente Award to the Pirates Major League Player selected for his character and charitable contributions to his community.

Benedict, a St. Petersburg native, completed more than 30 hours of community service in 2013. He has pitched for the Marauders in each of the last two seasons. 2013 was his third season in professional baseball.

Kingham resides in Las Vegas Nevada. A 2013 Florida State League All Star, Kingham was promoted to Altoona in June for the remainder of his fourth professional season.

For more information about the Pirates Community Commitment Program, please visit http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/community/commit_prog.jsp.

This article originally appeared on the Marauders’ website.

Representatives from each affiliate were recognized at PNC Park last week for their community service.

Get Your Pink On!

August 1, 2013

Friday, August 9 Game to Include a Cancer Survivor Walk, Pink Jersey Auction, Pink Bra Contest, Happy Hour Specials, and a Balloon Pop With Great Prizes

Bradenton, Fla. – The Bradenton Marauders will host the fourth annual Get Your Pink On! breast cancer awareness night at McKechnie Field on Friday, August 9. Get Your Pink On! is presented by Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute with media partner ABC 7. The Marauders face the St. Lucie Mets at 6:30 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.

The entire night will be dedicated to raising money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Before the game, cancer survivors will have the opportunity to be recognized on field. A Survivors Walk around the warning track will be held at 6:00 p.m.

The Marauders will wear pink jerseys which will be available for auction during the game. Winning bidders will be invited to receive the jersey directly from the player wearing it after the game. Players will autograph the jersey and pose for pictures with winning bidders. In addition to the jerseys, autographed pink bats will also be up for bid.

Fans can participate in a “pay to pop” balloon pop with great prizes available, with all prizes valued at a minimum of $10 each. Fans are encouraged to come dressed in pink and to bring their uniquely decorated pink bra to the ballpark. Prizes for the best-decorated pink bra will be awarded via fan vote during the game. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society. Other opportunities to help the Marauders raise funds for the American Cancer Society will be available throughout the game.

Every Friday home game is a Happy Hour Friday presented by Pier 22 Restaurant. From 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., 500 free hot dogs will be given away at the outfield concessions stand and $1 sodas and $1 domestic draft beers will be sold at the Kona Bar Built by NDC Construction and the Yuengling Plaza Bar thanks to Kayem and Cheney Brothers.

The McKechnie Field ticket office is open on non-game days from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday-Friday and closed on weekend non-game days. On Monday-Saturday game days, the ticket office opens at 1:00 p.m. and closes at the conclusion of the game. On Sunday game days and special games with 10 a.m. start times, the ticket office opens two hours prior to the game.

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

Pirates Charities Presents Gift to Boys and Girls Clubs

April 8, 2013

$62,000 raised during Spring Training presented at Marauders opener

Pirates Charities, the official Philanthropic arm of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders, partnered with Bright House Networks to present a $62,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County. Pirates Senior Director of Florida Operations, Trevor Gooby and Bright House Networks Florida Marketing Manager of Sponsorships, Events and Promotions, Amy Sumerlin presented the donation at the Bradenton Marauders home opener Friday night.

Money for the donation was raised during several Pirates Spring Training fundraising efforts. More than $15,000 was raised from ticket sales during Bright House Networks Night at McKechnie Field on March 8^th. That game was attended by 6,353 fans, the most ever for a night game at McKechnie Field.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County have been supporting youths ages 5 through 17 that need it most for more than 67 years. The Boys and Girls Clubs have seven locations helping more than 6,000 children develop good character and citizenship and make progress towards graduating high school.

Pirates Charities was founded in 2006. It has contributed more than $3.1 million to the greater Pittsburgh, Bradenton and Manatee County, and Estorga, Dominican Republic communities.

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

Senior and Caregiver Expo at McKechnie Field March 27

March 21, 2013

Expo Coincides With Pirates Spring Training Game Versus Minnesota

Bradenton, Fla. – The Pittsburgh Pirates will host a Senior and Caregiver Expo at McKechnie Field on Wednesday, March 27. The expo will run from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., coinciding with the Pirates Spring Training game against the Minnesota Twins. The game begins at 1:05 p.m.

The expo is open to all fans attending the game at no additional cost. The event is presented by Manatee Memorial Hospital and Humana. Local businesses and non-profits that provide services to senior citizens will have exhibitor tables at the event. The first 2,500 fans will receive a free Pirates eco-friendly bag courtesy of the event sponsors.

CARES Outreach Services of Sarasota will conduct free screenings for blood pressure, glucose/diabetes, and HIV in the roundabout outside the main gate. A TOTAL cholesterol screening will also be offered for $5. These screenings are available to the general public. Participants that opt for all four screenings can get their results in 15 minutes or less. In order to get the most accurate results, participants should fast for at least eight hours before the TOTAL cholesterol and two hours for the glucose/diabetes screenings.

Free Distance Vision and Glaucoma screenings will be available from the Eye Associates Sight Mobile outside of the main gate.

The Pirates are accepting exhibitor booth registration for the expo until Friday, March 22. To register a booth at the expo, call 941-747-3031 ext. 4161. All Pirates Spring Training tabling guidelines apply to expo exhibitors.

Pirates Spring Training season ticket holders can exchange any unused tickets for tickets to the Pirates game on Sunday, March 24 and March 27. Exchanges are subject to availability restrictions and must be made in person at the McKechnie Field ticket office. Unused tickets to the Black and Gold Game and the exhibition against Team Spain are not eligible to be exchanged.

For more information about the Senior and Caregiver Expo, call 941-747-3031 or visit www.BradentonMarauders.com. To purchase tickets to the game call 877-893-2827 or visit the McKechnie Field Ticket Office on weekdays between 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., or Sunday from 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
This article originally appeared on the official website of the Bradenton Marauders. Click here to view the original story.

Marauders in the Community

September 25, 2012

The off-season is still a busy time for the Marauders when it comes to helping the community

Baseball season may be over, but the Marauders are still busy staying involved in the local community. Players, front office members, and mascot are still busy putting forward a great effort to make a positive contribution in Manatee County.

Marty the Marauder was in attendance on Saturday, September 15 as the Miracle League of Manasota held their opening day for the fall 2012 season. Six teams and more than 90 registered players took part in three games at the new Miracle League fields that opened earlier this year with financial support from the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles.

Congratulations are due to 2012 Marauder Casey Sadler and 2010 Marauder Tim Alderson for earning recognition for their tremendous community service during the 2012 season. Sadler was the Marauders’ Pirates Community Commitment Program Award winner this season. Alderson received the award with the Altoona Curve. Both players were recognized at PNC Park last Tuesday before the Pirates game against the Brewers.

Manager of Florida Operations A.J. Grant raised more than $1,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association by participating in the local MDA chapter’s Lock Up event at Pier 22 Restaurant. More than a dozen donors helped A.J. raise that lofty amount for a great cause.

Marauders Reward Commitment to Reading

July 8, 2012

Enjoy the summer with books, baseball and pizza

The Bradenton Marauders have launched the Marauders Reading Scores Program to get Manatee County children reading this summer. Manatee County elementary school students that read four books and complete a Reading Scores card provided by the Marauders can redeem the card for a free ticket to a Marauders game and a coupon for one free 10-inch small cheese pizza from Papa John’s.

The Marauders Reading Scores Program is presented by Papa John’s Pizza, the Bradenton Herald, the Manatee Education Foundation, and the School District of Manatee County. Reading Scores cards are available at McKechnie Field, the front desk at Pirate City, and Manatee County libraries.

Each time a child reads a book, he or she can color in one base on their Marauders Reading Scores card, write the book’s title in the assigned space under the base, and have a parent or guardian sign the form. After reading their fourth book of the summer, home plate can be colored in and the card is ready to be exchanged. Turn the card in at the McKechnie Field box office for a free Marauders ticket to any non-Wednesday game and a coupon for a free small chesse pizza from Papa John’s.

The Marauders Reading Scores program is part of the Bradenton Marauders’ commitment to making a positive impact in their local community. Helping children learn not only to read, but to enjoy reading, is important to improving educational success. Marty the Marauder and several Marauders players visited the Manatee County Central Library in Bradenton Monday to promote childhood reading.

“Reading is the building block of learning,” Marauders pitcher Jason Townsend said. “Everything starts with reading.”

Fellow pitcher Kenn Kasparek echoed Townsend’s sentiments.

“Read to succeed isn’t just a saying,” Kasparek said. “Reading enhances your hunger for knowledge.”

For more information about the Marauders Reading Scores Program, call 941-747-3031 or email MaraudersInfo@Pirates.com.

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

Bradenton Marauders Education Day

May 2, 2011

The Bradenton Marauders, the Class-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, held its annual Education Day on April 25th at 10:00am for the students of Manatee County. Over 920 students participated, enjoying a beautiful day of baseball while having the opportunity to learn at the ball park.

Marauders Education Day was a success, with the help of local vendors including Mixon Fruit Farms, Mote Marine Laboratory, South Florida Museum, Manatee County Substance Abuse Coalition and Manatee County Library, who set up educational stations inside the ball park during the game. Along with the local vendors, the Bradenton Marauders established three interactive education stations; a math, geography and language table, each bringing an educational approach to baseball. The math station taught students how to calculate ERA and batting averages, the geography table displayed a world map pinpointing the hometowns of each of the Marauder players and Marauder language table depicted English words found in baseball and their Spanish translations.