Tampa & Gulf Coast League Yankees Recognize HOPE Week

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TAMPA, FL. – The Tampa Yankees & Gulf Coast League Yankees will be participating in HOPE Week (Helping Others Preserve & Excel) during the week of July 8-15, 2013. HOPE Week is a New York Yankees initiative designed to reach out to remarkable people who are worthy of recognition for their inspiring actions and support of their communities.

The Tampa based minor league Yankees players will be visiting the Police Athletic League: a registered non-profit 501c3 organization that is dedicated to providing affordable after school, summer and athletic opportunities to more than 500 Tampa Bay youth. The Children’s Home: a child-and family-centered organization that is positioned to care for struggling families and children seeking the comfort of a loving family. Warriors for Autism: a non-profit organization dedicated to enlightening, empowering and enriching the lives of families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Players will also pay a visit to patients and their families at local area hospitals including Shriners Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and Tampa General Hospital.

The Tampa Yankees are the Single-A Advanced affiliate of the New York Yankees. For more information on the Tampa Yankees visit www.tybaseball.com or call (813) 673-3055.

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

Naturals Community Highlights: May 15-20

SPRINGDALE, Ark. – The Naturals return for a brief three-game homestand on Saturday, but Strike will be a busy Sasquatch over the next six days, making 11 appearances in five Northwest Arkansas communities as well as welcoming the Naturals back to town.

Wednesday, May 15: Strike will visit patients at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale, lifting their spirits and generating smiles. After his visit to Circle of Life, Strike will have lunch with a special group of youngsters who were selected as part of the Terrific Kids program sponsored by the Bentonville Kiwanis club.

Thursday, May 16: Strike will have lunch with Terrific Kids selected by the Bentonville Kiwanis Club.

Friday, May 17: Strike begins his Friday by visiting students at Bright Field Middle School in Bentonville, followed by a trip to Mathias Elementary in Rogers. At both schools, Strike will congratulate students on a successful school year and promote their upcoming fundraising nights at Arvest Ballpark.

Later in the day, Strike will make an appearance with participants in a study conducted by the University of Arkansas Psychology department. Strike will close out the day by supporting runners and walkers in Bella Vista at the Strides for Stroke 5K and 1-mile fun run.

Saturday, May 18: Strike will start his Saturday morning with a visit to the Wildcat Rumble 5k in Bentonville. After passing out awards and celebrating with the winners, Strike will visit the Compassion House in Springdale. Following a brief lunch break, Strike will head over to Pinnacle Hills Mall in Rogers to take part in the rescheduled Touch-A-Truck event, benefitting the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas. Later in the day, Strike will appear the Bentonville Great Strides event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

In addition to Strike’s visits around Northwest Arkansas, the Naturals will welcome eight groups to Arvest Ballpark this homestand as part of the team’s fundraising program. These groups include Elkins Elementary School, Sugar Creek Elementary School, Lincoln Junior High School, Huntsville Intermediate School, Mathias Elementary School music department, Lowell Elementary School, Aid for Developing Countries and Western Arkansas Child Development. As of May 14, the Naturals ticket fundraising program has raised $52,543 this season.

If you would like to have Strike appear at your event, email streetteam@nwanaturals.com or fill out the form on the Naturals’ website, located by clicking on the Community tab at the top of the webpage, then clicking the appearances link. Those interested in participated in the Naturals ticket fundraising program should call 479-927-4900 or email groups@nwanaturals.com.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and proud host of the 77th Annual Texas League All Star Game. The Naturals play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR. For more information including statistics, ticket options, and more, please visit NWANaturals.com, and follow us on Twitter @NWANaturals and Facebook.com/Naturals.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Click here to view the original story.

Mud Hens players score smiles with local kids!

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The Hens have won six straight games on the field, but off the field the team has been winning, too. On Monday, 8/13, Audy Ciriaco read to Latino children at the TMC Migrant Seasonal Head Start in Millbury, in support of the Books 4 Buddies program. Later that day, Thad Weber, Adam Wilk and Danny Dorn made a visit to Toledo Children’s Hospital. PHOTOS

Founded by 14-year-old Touré McCord II, Books 4 Buddies encourages children and teenagers, especially boys, to read for pleasure and personal development. A native of the Dominican Republic, Ciriaco read two Spanish language books to the children & assisted with a free book distribution for the children and their families.

Later that day, pitchers Thad Weber, Adam Wilk and infielder Danny Dorn made a visit to Toledo Children’s Hospital. They played air hockey & foosball with some of the patients and handed out autographed baseballs. They were even spotted hanging out with some chipmunks!

“The Mud Hens feel it’s important to have a strong presence off the playing field as well,” says Cheri Pastula, manager of community relations. “The players really enjoy interacting with children and we are thrilled to have to have them makes visits likes this throughout the community.”

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Toledo Mud Hens. Click here to view the original story.

Boise Hawks are In Bloom with St.Luke’s Children’s Hospital

The Boise Hawks have been patiently waiting for their trip to St.Lukes Children’s Hospital and it finally happened yesterday. Michael Heesch, Stephen Bruno and Dan Vogelbach went to St.Lukes and visited with the children on the fourth floor. They handed out hats, baseballs, helmets, balloons, foam fingers (Bruno’s favorite) and flower arrangements that the boys put together themselves at In Bloom Tuesday morning.

Vogelbach along with Nathan Dorris, Hunter Ackerman and Rock Shoulders all went to In Bloom where they learned the proper way to arrange flowers and the importance of giving back to the community. Host mom, Diane Laubengayer, put together this fun activity and was their teacher for the day. For Shoulders the importance of this trip was “just trying to keep the children happy and hopefully giving them the strength to pull through the tough days.” While some children might only be in the hospital a short time, others are there for long-term treatment for up to a year.

The trip to St.Lukes started in the Play Room where there is an inside play area as well as a rooftop playground with bouncy balls, teeter-totter, and a play house. The boys played kick ball with one little boy and spent time with the families. Vogelbach was excited to see the first little girl come in; he immediately went for his flower arrangement and gave it to her. I have never seen a smile so big, both on the face of the little girl and on her father’s.

We also got to meet a teenage boy who has grown up in a family of soccer players. He just started playing baseball last year and is a right handed pitcher, he was extra excited to meet Heesch. His first question was “What is your best advice for a pitcher?” The response he got, “Never let yourself have a bad day, and throw strikes!”

The visit seemed to open the hearts and minds of the players, Humphrey, and the staff who went along on the visit. The children’s hospitals are close to my heart and I encourage all of you to take the time and show your appreciation for someone today!

This story originally appeared on the “High Heels and Highlights” blog.  Click here to read the original story.

Premera Care-A-Van Provides Smiles and Hope to Local Children

Spokane, WA – For over 10 years the Spokane Indians and Premera Blue Cross have teamed up for the Premera Care-A-Van, a program where children in local hospitals receive a visit from OTTO the Mascot and current Indians players. The first of three Care-A-Van visits is today at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Premera Blue Cross and the Indians to bring hope to children at our local hospitals,” said Senior Vice President Otto Klein. “These brave kids are going through a lot and its rewarding for all of us to see smiles on their faces.”

In addition to the visit from players and mascots, the children will receive a Care-A-Van Backpack full of Spokane Indians items courtesy of Premera Blue Cross. The Indians also provide tickets for former patients who have now recovered and are living in the Spokane area.

“I’ll never forget how happy the kids were to see us and how much our visit lifted their spirits,” said former Indians player Brett Nicholas. “I’m glad to see the program will continue in 2012, and that new players will be able to experience what I did.”

The Indians and Premera Blue Cross have three Care-A-Vans planned for this year, including today at Sacred Heart, August 14th at Deaconess Medical Center, and August 21st at Shriners Hospital for Children. All media are invited to attend.

For more information about the Premera Care-A-Van program, please call (509) 535-2922.

Tonight’s game is the second game of a three game series against the Tri-City Dust Devils and is Baseball Hat Giveaway presented by Pepsi, Arby’s, and The Inlander. The first 1,000 fans and all Banner Bank Diamond Club Members will receive a FREE limited edition Spokane Indians Baseball Hat. Also tonight, kids are encouraged to stick around after the game for the Supercuts Post-Game Circle the Bases promotion. The game starts at 6:30 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for all Spokane Indians home games are available for purchase at the Indians Ticket Office or at spokaneindians.com. Reserve your seats today by calling (509) 343-OTTO (6886) or TicketsWest at 1-800-325-SEAT.

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

Shoemaker Visits Shriners Hospital

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During the team’s last homestand, starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker made a visit to the in-patient wing of Shriners Hospital for Children – Salt Lake City. Shoemaker went room-to-room, spending time with patients and their families. He also took photos and signed autographs for the children.

“It was fun to see the kids smile and be able to interact with them,” said Shoemaker.

Shriners Hospitals for Children® – Salt Lake City provides state-of-the-art medical care in a family-centered environment. The colorful, light-filled hospital is designed to let children with a host of orthopaedic and neuromusculoskeletal disorders learn new skills, make friends and receive care in a safe, supportive and high-tech setting. Every staff member – from surgeons to therapists, nurses to orthotists – is dedicated to helping children achieve their best quality of life.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Salt Lake Bees. Click here to view the original story.

M-Braves Visit Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital

The Mississippi Braves visited to the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital on June 10th.  The team arrived to offer support and bring hope and happiness to children struck by injury and illness.

The Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital has treated over 150,000 children from over 82 counties in Mississippi last year. The hospital strives in treating every youngster who is in need and has never turned anyone way. The institution strives to be the best with its cutting edge equipment and state-of-the-art facilities, however, more is always needed.

During the M-Braves visit, players from all over the world visited with the kids,  signed autographs, and provided cheer to all those in need.

If you would like to donate to the Blair E. Batson Hospital, please visit childrenshospital.umc.edu/donate.html or to mail a contribution, please make it payable to Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children and send to the address below:

The Division of Public Affairs
University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216

Willie Cabrera and Jordan Kreke playing Elefun with the children at Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital. (Photo courtesy of M-Braves)

BLUE ROCKS DONATE NEARLY $750,000 TO LOCAL CAUSES

Team’s Efforts with Marketing Partners & Fans Touch Thousands

The Wilmington Blue Rocks continued their commitment of giving back to the community throughout the 2010 season. The year saw the team, in tandem with its marketing partners and fans, raise $744,721.99 worth of contributions to local charities, schools and community organizations. The sum includes many different types of contributions including cash, tickets and services.

“We take pride in being able to contribute at this level to youth and charitable organizations in the greater Wilmington area,” said Blue Rocks general manager Chris Kemple. “I’m certain that we could not have done this without assistance from our 2010 marketing partners and fans that also played a large role in raising these funds.”

Below is a breakdown of the team’s efforts in the community during the campaign:

Cash Donations – $19,115

The Wilmington Blue Rocks were able to donate $19,115 to local organizations in 2010. These donations included Little League sponsorships, specialty game-worn memorabilia auctions, ticket kickbacks, and a sponsorship with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware.

During select games, the Blue Rocks wore special jerseys or hats. That apparel was then auctioned and raffled off during those games. Some items were auctioned off online as well. Below are a few examples:

Boots on the Ground – Blue Rocks wore Camo hats
Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition – Blue Rocks wore Pink jerseys
B+ Foundation – Blue Rocks wore Throwback jerseys

Other organizations that benefited from this included: The Ronnie Williams Foundation, the ING DIRECT Kids Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware, and the Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation.

Ticket Donations – 66,798 tickets, Value – $601,182

Each year, the Blue Rocks are able to accommodate almost every donation request. Through those donation requests, school programs, and by offering bulk tickets to select local organizations (Kind to Kids, USO Delaware, Delaware Police Departments, and more), the Blue Rocks were able to donate almost 67,000 tickets for the 2010 season.

Centerplate Concession Stand Money – $63,149.99

During the 2010 season, local organizations had the opportunity to work the concession stands during Blue Rocks games. In exchange, Centerplate, the concessionaire for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, gave them a portion of the revenue from that game. Throughout the season, over $63,000 was donated to these organizations for their efforts.

Non-Ticket Donations – $21,575

These donations are for extraordinary cases that call for something extra special. Non-ticket donations consist of:

Luxury Suites
Experience Items (first pitches, on-field inclusion)
Autographed Items (bats, baseballs)
Merchandise/Promo Items
Blue Rocks Baseball Camp Scholarships
Used Baseballs/Gloves/Equipment

Advertising Donations – $8,500

During home games, the Blue Rocks allowed select non-profits to promote themselves or upcoming events. This promotion was executed through the use of the RocksVision video board, the public address system, and by providing concourse tables.

Speaking Appearances

The Blue Rocks Front Office donated over 50 hours of their time to speak at community events. These events included speaking to children at local elementary schools, high schools, and colleges about careers in sports, and speaking to local organizations about the Blue Rocks.

Player Appearances

Wilmington Blue Rocks Players made many appearances over the 2010 season. Some of these appearances included visiting the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (at least once a month), a youth detention center, local schools, United Cerebral Palsy’s summer camp, as well as other local summer camps.

Mascot Appearances – $7,500

Rocky Bluewinkle visited 196 community events this year. (Spanned over 240 hours; Value of free or discounted appearances – $7,500).

In-Stadium Fundraising at Frawley Stadium – $23,700

The Blue Rocks opened up Frawley Stadium to select charitable organizations during home games, and enabled them to raise money for their respective causes. Money was raised by selling t-shirts, raffle tickets, and by collecting donations. There have also been a number of check presentations before Blue Rocks games during the 2010 season.

K’s for Kids: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware donated money every time a Blue Rocks pitcher recorded a strikeout at home. At the end of the season, Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. was presented with a $5,000 check.
Stolen Base Learning Initiative: SBLI Life Insurance donated money for each Blue Rocks stolen base during a home game. At the end of the season, BooksFirst! was presented with a $5,000 check.
Stolen Bases for Happy Faces: New Castle County Chamber of Commerce donated $5,000 to the Bear Babe Ruth Baseball League Miracle League Field project.
B+ Score for the Cure: AstraZeneca donated money for each Blue Rocks run scored at home. At the end of the season, the B+ Foundation was presented with a $5,000 check.

Miscellaneous

Make-A-Wish Night: On Aug. 31, the Blue Rocks hosted Make-A-Wish Night. Wish Kids were treated like stars. They were able to participate in some unique activities before and during the game, and they received lots of autographs and free stuff.
Challenger Little League: The Blue Rocks continued the tradition of working with the Challenger Little League to host its season’s Opening Ceremonies. Each player was introduced individually, and all teams get to play on Judy Johnson Field.
Stadium Tours: The Blue Rocks offer stadium tours for free. Tours are usually 30 minutes long. In 2010, the Blue Rocks hosted 60 tours, many to community organizations with little to no funding.
Toy Drive: The Blue Rocks were once again, able to contribute toys to the Mary Campbell Center. Rocky Claus surprised guests at the Mary Campbell Center’s youth and children holiday party with a sack full of donated toys.

Tackling Childhood Obesity

The Wilmington Blue Rocks are committed to tackling the epidemic of childhood obesity. To do so, the Blue Rocks have partnered with local programs like Nemours Health and Prevention Services, Titus Sports Academy (CHAMPIONS program), and Girls on the Run. Through these partnerships the Blue Rocks have been able to reward kids who participate in health/fitness-related extracurricular activities.

One of the many visits by Blue Rocks players and team mascot Rocky Bluewinkle to A.I. duPont Hospital included (left-to-right): Rocky, Ivor Hodgson, Buddy Baumann, Barry Bowden, Adrian Ortiz. (Photo by Dave Arthur)

Miracle Roll Sleeves Up to Help Community

Miracle Cares is a community outreach program that was founded in the Fall of 2008. The Fort Myers Miracle front office staff recognized the need for volunteers in the community and took it upon themselves to be those people. Each month the Miracle volunteer some of their work time to helping local organizations in need. This year organizations such as the CCMI soup kitchen, Ronald McDonald House and Salvation Army were assisted in there drive for helping others.

Thursday, April 15th the Miracle pushed up their sleeves and went to work in the kitchen of the Ronald McDonald house cooking some ballpark favorites for dinner. “It’s something simple for us to do and yet the families have been very appreciative” says General Manager, Steve Gliner.  The Miracle lent a hand at the local soup kitchen earlier this year, serving over a hundred people within just a couple hours.

The team turned full circle when they visited the Children’s Hospital on April 26th. The visit consisted of stopping at the Oncology/Hematology, Intensive Care and Surgical units. Children’s faces lit up with joy seeing professional ball players walk into their room to visit. Some kids jumped right into their arms, while others took a little time to warm up to. The kids took to the players right away and began cracking jokes and giving high fives. At the end of the day the kids were just kids, all illnesses momentarily aside.

Miracle Players from left: Tony Davis, Chris Herrmann, Dan Rohlfing, Brad Tippett

Charlotte Knights visit Levine Children’s Hospital

On April 19, 2010, children at Carolinas Medical Center Levine Children’s Hospital were treated with a visit from several Charlotte Knight’s ballplayers. The monthly visits are a part of the Knights ongoing outreach in the Charlotte and area community.

Levine’s 234-bed children’s hospital combines the medical expertise the community already relies on with a spectacular new state-of-the-art facility designed to care for the physical and emotional needs of children and their families.

The Knights’ players, personnel, and mascots make regular visits to the hospital to help provide hope, joy and fun activities for Levine’s patients and families. Besides making their monthly visits, players and personnel of the Charlotte Knights also keep in touch with several of Levine’s patients via e-mail and online communities such as Facebook.

Charlotte Knights Wes Whisler, Adam Ricks, Daniel Hudson, Erick Threets, Jeff Marquez and Brent Lillibridge visit with 6 year old Ben Aguallo. This picture was posted on Facebook by the Aguallo family immediately following the visit. The caption read: “One of Ben’s highlights…… meeting Pro Baseball Players… thank you Charlotte Knights!”

ROCKY DELIVERS HOLIDAY CHEER

Mascot Visits Over 100 Hospital Patients, Helps Deliver Gifts

The Blue Rocks’ own Rocky Bluewinkle joined forces with the Delaware State Police on Thursday for a visit to Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children to deliver gifts and holiday cheer. As part of the annual visit for the Delaware State Police, donations included gingerbread houses, stuffed animals, baseballs and more. The all-day delivery saw Rocky & Co. visit more than 100 patients.

Rocky did not make his journey solo. Everyone’s favorite furry pal had help from Delaware state troopers, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph, a storm trooper, the Chick-fil-A Cow and Miss Delaware 2009 herself, Heather Lehman. The super squad posed for hundreds of pictures with patients and their families while dropping off goodies to lift their spirits.

While the dream team patrolled Alfred I. DuPont, other Delaware state police troopers also visited hospitals in Kent and Sussex counties. The Blue Rocks made special stops to Alfred I. DuPont monthly during the season with players and Rocky Bluewinkle in tow.

Link to original article by John Sadak

Rocky’s “dream team” spread holiday cheer to over 100 patients at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington. (Dave Arthur)

Blue Rocks Donate Nearly Half a Million for Local Causes

The Wilmington Blue Rocks proudly announce that the 2009 season saw the team, in tandem with its marketing partners and fans, donate and raise $424,000 worth of contributions to local charities, schools and community organizations. The sum represents a collective of many different types of contributions with the majority coming from monetary and ticket donations.

“We take pride in being able to contribute at this level to youth and charitable organizations in the greater Wilmington area,” said Blue Rocks general manager Chris Kemple. “I’m certain that we could not have done this without assistance from our 2009 marketing partners and fans that also played a large role in raising these funds.”

Blue Rocks concessionaire, Centerplate, allows community organizations the opportunity to volunteer at the concession stands during home games in return for a percentage of the money received at each stand. Thanks to this program almost $74,000 was given back to community organizations.

The Blue Rocks continue to support local youth baseball and donated over $1,600 as well as used baseball equipment to local Little League organizations.

Game-worn memorabilia auctions saw an increase in frequency and dollar amounts, helping to raise over $6,300. On April 19, the Blue Rocks wore purple hats to raise money for the Bernadette Farrell Memorial Fund as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Night. The Rocks sported pink jerseys on May 29 to benefit the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.

The Rocks wore camouflage hats on May 30 and August 1 to raise money for Delaware Boots on the Ground and USO Delaware. On July 3, Wilmington donned patriotic jerseys to support United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware (UCP). The Rocks wore Red hats on June 25 to raise funds for the American Red Cross of the Delmarva Peninsula. The Rocks also sported gold jerseys on Aug. 13 for Elvis Night to benefit the local chapter of the American Lung Association. Blue Rocks players went beyond the laundry too, donating game-worn cleats and batting gloves that were auctioned off for charity.

Almost 60,000 tickets were distributed to area schools over the course of the season. Mascot Rocky Bluewinkle led the charge to promote literacy with

his Reading Challenge, presented by the Delaware State Education Association. The Blue Rocks worked with local schools to reward kids who met their reading goal. In 2009, over 150 area schools were awarded a total of 57,000 tickets. Along with Rocky’s Reading Challenge the Blue Rocks donated over 2,500 tickets through programs like the IFS Outstanding Students Program, which allows teachers to reward students who display excellence in behavior and performance in the classroom.

The team also donated over 8,000 tickets to community organizations throughout the 2009 campaign with 6,000 going to local fundraisers, 1,000 donated to the USO Delaware to use for their soldiers and staff, and the remainder finding a number of other local non-profit organizations in need. Those same non-profit groups received another $2,000 worth of free/discounted video board advertising and concourse tables to promote themselves and their worthy events.

The Blue Rocks organized special events to collect money and goods for those less fortunate. Before the season, the team held a gift drive for kids at the Mary Campbell Center. The team also offered ticket discounts to fans that donated items to the Food Bank of Delaware. The Blue Rocks Charity Golf Classic, held at Deerfield Golf and Tennis Club on Aug. 17, raised over $1,500 for UCP and CHILD, Inc. in one day.

Community appearances proved a regular item on the team’s calendar. Mascot Rocky Bluewinkle and numerous Blue Rocks players visited A.I. duPont Hospital for Children at least once a month throughout the season in addition to other appearances. Rocky logged over 60 community service hours at schools and charitable events as well. Rocks’ players put in over 20 hours despite their grueling 140-game schedule over five-plus months time. The Blue Rocks visited schools and community organizations throughout the Delaware Valley, tallying over 40 hours of their time throughout the season.

The K’s for Kids Program presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (BCBSDE) completed its fourth season with great success. BCBSDE donated $10 to a local charity for every home game strikeout the Blue Rocks pitching staff recorded. Thanks to this program, BCBSDE presented Girls on the Run a check for $5,000 before the Blue Rocks game on Sept. 2.

Challenger Little League returned for its annual day of baseball on May 12. Teams from the league were able to play their games on Judy Johnson Field before the Rocks’ contest later that night in a tradition that has spanned over a decade.

During the last homestand of the regular season, the Wilmington police department collected donations for the daughter of a slain Georgetown police officer Chad Spicer. The generosity of Blue Rocks fans contributed over $5,000 to Aubrey Spicer’s trust fund.

Blue Rocks players (left to right) Clint Robinson, Adrian Ortiz and Ryan Eigsti joined with Rocky Bluewinkle for a visit at A.I. duPont Hospital during the season. (Brad Glazier)

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.

Bees Take Baseball to Shriners Hospital for Children

Salt Lake Bees players Terry Evans, Adam Pavkovich and Brandon Wood left Spring Mobile Ballpark in the dust Wednesday morning for a visit with patients at Shriners Hospital for Children.

A temporary home to nearly 20 children with special orthopedic needs, today’s Shriners’ patients ranged from those with spinal cord injuries, broken bones and missing limbs. The Bees players brought in their own rehabilitation for the children, playing catch, shooting hoops, playing ping pong and just plain chatting it up. The near two hour visit was a positive for both the players and the patients. “It was a great opportunity to come up here today. I had fun getting to know the children and their families,” said Wood.

Outfielder Terry Evans knows that “it’s easy for people to lose perspective of the struggles that some have to go through. Anything that we can do to brighten a kid’s day and help them forget they’re in a hospital or about to have surgery or whatever, we’re happy to do it.”

The players took photos and left autographed photos with the children.

Brandon Wood enjoyed visiting with patients at Shriners Hospital.