Crawdads Barkley Baseball Camps

Free clinic April 25th; Paid camp July 14th – 17th

 

Hickory, NC – The Hickory Crawdads and Barkley Baseball School are once again teaming up to provide fans with both a free, one day clinic and a four-day, paid camp this season at L.P. Frans Stadium.

The Free Clinic is scheduled for Saturday, April 25th from 10am – 12:15 pm. Fans ages 5-14 will receive training from both the Barkley Baseball School instructors and Crawdads players, while also taking home a free ticket to that night’s ‘Dads game.

The four-day, paid Baseball Camp will run from Tuesday, July 14th through Friday, July 17th. In addition to the in-depth instruction from Barkley teachers and Crawdads players every day from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, attendees of the camp will receive a baseball camp t-shirt, a free meal each day, a ticket to every ‘Dads game during the camp, and a pre-game parade around the field on July 17th.

Registration for the Baseball Camp is only $80 for Claw Club members and $99 for non-members until June 26th. The fee rises to $115 from June 27th – July 13th, and is $130 if paid the day of the camp.

For more information or to register for either the Free Clinic or paid Baseball Camp, contact the Crawdads front office at (828) 322-3000.

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

Intimidators teaming up with JGCF in 2015

Wristband proceeds to go benefit Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation and come with voucher for free Pepsi product at the ballpark

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Kannapolis-IntimidatorsThe Kannapolis Intimidators have teamed up with the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation for the 2015 season to raise money at all 12 Friday home games at CMC-NorthEast Stadium. The Intimidators will be selling JGCF wristbands at the ballpark for $5, and each wristband comes with a voucher for a free Pepsi product at the concessions stand ($3 value).

The mission of the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation is to support children battling cancer by funding programs that improve patients’ quality of life, treatment prograJeff-Gordons-Children-Foundationms that increase survivorship and pediatric medical research dedicated to finding a cure. In addition, the Foundation provides support to the Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Hospital in Concord, NC, which serves children in the community by providing a high level of primary and specialty care, regardless of their ability to pay.

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

Knights Announce 2015 Scholarships with Founding Partners

From L-R -- 2014 Charlotte Knights Healthcare Scholarship recipients: Adam Miranda (NC State), Xena Nguyen (UNC - Chapel Hill), Sarah York (Wake Forest) and Homer the Dragon.
From L-R — 2014 Charlotte Knights Healthcare Scholarship recipients: Adam Miranda (NC State), Xena Nguyen (UNC – Chapel Hill), Sarah York (Wake Forest) and Homer the Dragon.

Charlotte-Knights-2014The Charlotte Knights are once again teaming up with two of their founding partners to provide educational funding through two unique scholarships for high school students. The Charlotte Knights Healthcare Scholarship, presented by Carolinas HealthCare System, along with the Charlotte Knights STEM Scholarship Program, presented by Piedmont Natural Gas, each represent the team’s focus on community initiatives.

“We are excited to once again team with Carolinas HealthCare System and Piedmont Natural Gas on these very important scholarships for local high school students,” said Chris Semmens, Charlotte Knights vice president of sales. “Supporting education is one of our primary goals and we look forward to working with our founding partners to help local students prepare for successful careers.”

The Knights and Carolinas HealthCare System began their partnership in 2013 with the Charlotte Knights Healthcare Scholarship program. That season, the Knights honored high school students John Dock Tallent (Appalachian State University), Gisele Bailey (Harvard University) and Stephanie Smith (UNC – Chapel Hill) as the inaugural recipients of the Charlotte Knights Healthcare Scholarship program presented by Carolinas HealthCare System. Last season, three more high school students were awarded a $1,000 scholarship each — Adam Miranda (NC State), Sarah York (Wake Forest), and Xena Nguyen (UNC – Chapel Hill).

In an effort to improve educational funding for high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in health care, the Charlotte Knights and Carolinas HealthCare System will once again provide three $1,000 college scholarships to local high school seniors in 2015.

“Carolinas HealthCare System’s vision is to lead the transformation of health care delivery and a key part of that effort is attracting the next generation of motivated, creative health care professionals,” said Carol Lovin, Executive Vice President of Carolinas HealthCare System. “Partnering with the Charlotte Knights to provide these scholarships is a great way to help turn that vision into reality.”

The Knights and Piedmont Natural Gas also will award three $1,000 college scholarships to high school seniors from the Charlotte region who plan to attend college and pursue studies in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering or math. Last year, Piedmont and the Knights awarded three $1,000 scholarships to students attending college within Piedmont’s service territories in North and South Carolina. The three winners of the inaugural scholarship were EmmaLee Apple (Alamance Community College), James Reynolds (Bob Jones University), and Cody Wright (Guilford Technical Community College).

“STEM education is a focus area for Piedmont Natural Gas, and we are happy to join the Knights in offering these scholarships to students in the Charlotte region,” said Timothy Greenhouse, managing director of community relations for Piedmont Natural Gas. “Piedmont will continue to support programs like this that expand educational opportunities in our communities.”

The Carolinas HealthCare System scholarships will be awarded during an on-field ceremony at BB&T Ballpark on Tuesday, July 21, while the Piedmont Natural Gas scholarships will be awarded during an on-field ceremony on Thursday, July 23.

More details about each of the scholarships, along with applications to apply, guidelines and more, are now available at charlotteknights.com. All applications must be emailed to scholarships@charlotteknights.com or mailed to Charlotte Knights Annual Scholarship at 324 South Mint St., Charlotte, NC 28202. All applications must be postmarked by May 1, 2015.

* 2015 Charlotte Knights Healthcare Scholarship Application
* 2015 Charlotte Knights STEM Scholarship Application

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

Now accepting nominations for Local Heroes Nights to recognize community leaders

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(Ray Marsden/Kannapolis Intimidators)

 

Kannapolis-IntimidatorsThe Kannapolis Intimidators, Class A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, are now accepting nominations for a new “Local Heroes Night” series in 2015. Throughout the season, the Intimidators will be recognizing those who have gone above and beyond for our community by dedicating a night at the ballpark in their honor. Fans can submit nominations online at IntimidatorsBaseball.com.

*Click here to Nominate a Local Hero*

“There are people in our community that have been a hero in one way or another to those they serve. Teachers and coaches, police officers, firefighters, public servants, religious leaders, volunteers, and so many others have played such an important role in the growth and development of our community. We want to give them a chance to be recognized,” said Randy Long, Intimidators General Manager.

Local Heroes will be recognized at an Intimidators home game during the 2015 season with the opportunity to throw out a ceremonial first pitch, receive premium tickets to the game, and have their contributions to the community celebrated throughout the game. Nominations will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

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

Dads Groundskeeper Helps Community

Zach Van Voorhees builds new mound for Northview Middle School

Hickory-CrawdadsHickory Crawdads Head Groundskeeper Zach Van Voorhees lent his time and expertise to help out the community over the weekend, as the ‘Dads grounds specialist helped a group of volunteers build a new mound for Northview Middle School.

Using new field dirt supplied by the Northview Middle School Boosters Club, Van Voorhees and a group of parent volunteers rebuilt the school’s mound and prepared the field for the season. The mound was raised approximately five inches, while both the back and front slopes were reshaped to provide better safety and performance.

“I was just trying to give back a little bit,” said Van Voorhees. “It was good practice for me for (the Crawdads) upcoming season, and now they know how to maintain it.”

Les Stewart, a parent of two Northview students and a member of the Boosters Club, was one of five parent volunteers who assisted Van Voorhees.

“We were very appreciative of the work Zach did for Northview Middle School baseball,” said Stewart. “I was hoping Zach would give us some advice on how to best use the limited resources we had to get the field playable. He came on Saturday, his day off, and spent several hours in the cold helping us shape up the field and build the kids an awesome mound. We are thankful to the Crawdads and Zach for helping improve youth baseball in our community.”

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

Send in your ACN Charity Night applications

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Kannapolis-IntimidatorsThe Kannapolis Intimidators have teamed up with ACN Inc. to once again host Charity Spotlight Nights during the 2015 season to give local non-profit organizations a larger platform to raise money and awareness for their cause. Organizations can apply through the team website or by calling the front office at (704) 932-3267. Groups interested in applying are encouraged to do so now as consideration will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. ACN Charity Spotlight Nights will be on five Friday nights during the 2015 season: April 17, May 1, May 23, June 26, and July 31.

Up to four area non-profits will be able to set up an information table on the stadium concourse to promote their cause to fans on each ACN Charity Spotlight Night. Organizations will also receive vouchers for discounted tickets to distribute to supporters throughout the community. The Intimidators will donate 50% of proceeds from these vouchers to the organizations. During each ACN Charity Spotlight Night, the Intimidators will also recognize that night’s spotlighted non-profits over the public address and on the scoreboard.

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

Bully Busters Anti-Bullying Program Returns

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Elementary School Assembly Program Expands to Wake and Orange Counties

Durham-BullsThe Durham Bulls have announced the return of the successful anti-bullying program “Bully Busters,” which debuted in February of 2014. The initiative, in which the Bulls provide free school assemblies to raise awareness for a priority issue in elementary schools, will again travel to schools throughout Durham County, while expanding this year to Wake and Orange counties as well. ARS Rescue Rooter has partnered with the Bulls to present the program in its second year.

Using beloved mascot Wool E. Bull as the driving force, each interactive assembly engages students in recognizing bullying behavior and exploring what to do should they witness or experience bullying. At the conclusion of the 20-minute presentation, students are asked to take the “Bully Buster Pledge” at home with their families, and students who do so will be rewarded with two complimentary tickets to a select Durham Bulls game this spring. Additionally, the Bulls provide teachers and students with take-home activity books, further reinforcing the anti-bullying message.

In its inaugural campaign, the program reached over 10,000 students throughout Durham County. The success from 2014 has prompted growth into Wake and Orange counties in 2015, nearly tripling the number of schools the Bulls will visit in the initiative’s second year.

“We’re thrilled to bring back this extremely successful program for 2015,” Bulls General Manager Mike Birling said. “In our first year we reached a large number of students for a very pertinent, meaningful issue, and we’re excited to grow Bully Busters even further throughout the Triangle.”

Bully Busters, presented by ARS Rescue Rooter, will run from mid-January through the end of March. School administrators seeking more information about booking a Bully Busters assembly can do so by visiting the Bully Busters webpage.

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

‘Dads & Sam’s Club Partner for Military

Sam’s Club Military Ticket Deal provides free tickets for armed forces

Hickory-CrawdadsThe Hickory Crawdads are proud to announce a new partnership with Sam’s Club of Hickory, which will provide free tickets to all active and retired military personnel throughout the 2015 season as a part of the Sam’s Club Military Ticket Deal.

The Sam’s Club Military Ticket Deal will allow any active or retired member of the armed forces or their spouses to receive two complimentary tickets to any of the Crawdads 70 home games with a valid military ID. As one of the few teams in Minor League Baseball to offer free military tickets throughout the season, the Crawdads gave away more than 3,000 complimentary tickets to members of the armed forces in 2014.

“At Sam’s Club, we greatly appreciate the men and women of the armed forces who have served and continue serve our country,” said Sam’s Club of Hickory’s Club Manager Tim Hasson. “They have dedicated their lives to our country and deserve to be recognized for their commitment. We are proud to partner with the Hickory Crawdads to honor all military personnel. In addition, Sam’s Club always offers a $15 gift card for all new and renewing Sam’s Club active duty and veteran members. I want to thank each of you and your families for the sacrifices that you make.”

Sam’s Club Military Tickets can be redeemed in person at the L.P. Frans Stadium box office up to a week in advance of any Crawdads home game.

For more information regarding the Sam’s Club Military Ticket Deal, call the Crawdads front office at (828) 322-3000.

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

Shoeboxes for Children Claw Club Sale

‘Dads team with Elevation Church & Hickory Soup Kitchen

Hickory-CrawdadsThe Hickory Crawdads are partnering with Elevation Church and the Hickory Soup Kitchen to offer fans a half-priced 2015 Claw Club membership in exchange for donating select items that can be included in special Shoeboxes for Children this Holiday season.

Fans have until December 15th to donate to the Shoeboxes for Children program and receive a Claw Club membership for only $19, half the normal price. The program provides a special shoebox filled with warm weather essentials, school supplies, hygiene kits, and small toys to every child at the Hickory Soup Kitchen on Christmas. Hickory-Soup-KitchenAcceptable items for fans to donate include:

  • Brush/Comb sets
  • Kids sized sunglasses (non-gender specific)
  • $5 gift cards to McDonald’s
  • Pairs of socks
  • Small, low-priced toys (non-gender specific)

Elevation Church is also requesting children’s Bibles, while the Crawdads will be making and accepting hand-made Christmas cards to include in the shoeboxes as well. Both items will be accepted for a half-priced Claw Club membership. Donations can be made to the ‘Dads front office at L.P. Frans Stadium, along with a completed Claw Club Form.

For more information regarding the Hickory Soup Kitchen visit www.hickorysoupkitchen.org. More information about Elevation Church can be found at www.elevationchurch.org.

The Claw Club is the official kids club of the Hickory Crawdads. A membership includes:

  • One ticket to ALL 70 Crawdads home games in 2015
  • Official Membership Card
  • One Complimentary Speed Pitch, Carousel, & Bounce House Voucher each Saturday
  • One Complimentary ticket for Dad on Father’s Day
  • One Complimentary ticket for Mom on Mother’s Day
  • Special Events during the off-season and regular season
  • Claw Club Newsletter via E-Mail
  • 15% Discount at the Crawdads’ Team Store!
  • $30 Discount on a Birthday Party

For more information on the Claw Club or the Shoeboxes for Children sale, call the Crawdads Front Office at (828) 322-3000 or email Director of Community Relations and Events, Megan Meade at mmeade@hickorycrawdads.com.

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

Classroom Connections Claw Club Sale

Donate school supplies for half-priced Claw Club membership

Hickory-CrawdadsThe Hickory Crawdads are partnering with Classroom Connections in the month of October to help collect much needed school supplies for area teachers, while giving fans the opportunity to purchase a 2015 Claw Club membership for half price.

Fans have until October 31st to donate school supplies for Classroom Connections in exchange for a $19 Claw Club membership, half the normal price. Donations can be dropped off at the Crawdads front office at L.P. Frans Stadium, along with a completed Claw Club Form.

The Claw Club is the official kids club of the Hickory Crawdads. A membership includes:

  • One ticket to ALL 70 Crawdads home games in 2015
  • Official Membership Card
  • One Complimentary Speed Pitch, Carousel, & Bounce House Voucher each Saturday
  • One Complimentary ticket for Dad on Father’s Day
  • One Complimentary ticket for Mom on Mother’s Day
  • Special Events during the off-season and regular season
  • Claw Club Newsletter via E-Mail
  • 15% Discount at the Crawdads’ Team Store!
  • $30 Discount on a Birthday Party

Classroom Connections is a store where teachers from schools with high percentages of students with free and reduced lunch can shop for free school supplies. The program works to have a continuous impact on meeting teachers’ needs for classroom materials for every student by supplying classroom resources such as pencils, paper, glue, pens, poster board, notebooks, workbooks, rulers, calculators, graph paper, copy paper etc.

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

Charlotte Business Journal Honors Knights & BB&T Ballpark With Two Awards

The Knights welcomed 696,601 fans through the gates in 2014. (Jon Strayhorn)
The Knights welcomed 696,601 fans through the gates in 2014. (Jon Strayhorn)

Charlotte-Knights-2014The Charlotte Business Journal named the Charlotte Knights among their inaugural Heavy Hitters Commercial Real Estate award winners earlier this week. The Knights were honored with the Economic Development Award for New & Existing Industry and the Top Hospitality/Entertainment Development Award. Members of the Charlotte Knights staff will accept the awards on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte.

“We are very honored to be the recipient of these prestigious awards,” said Charlotte Knights Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer Dan Rajkowski. “We are very proud of BB&T Ballpark and very appreciative of the support we have received from the Greater Charlotte Region and our fans throughout our inaugural season.”

The awards honor the best commercial real estate deals and developments across the region from June 30, 2013, to July 1, 2014. The winners were selected by a panel of industry experts working in combination with the Charlotte Business Journal staff.

BB&T Ballpark, which opened its gates on Friday, April 11, 2014, was the most visited Minor League Baseball venue this season. Including the Triple-A National Championship Game, the Knights welcomed 696,601 fans during their inaugural season in Uptown Charlotte — leading all of Minor League Baseball in attendance. The ballpark also welcomes thousands of additional guests year-round with events such as Charlotte BeerFest, the Toshiba trade show, and the City of Charlotte’s Back To School Day.

The Charlotte Knights will begin their second season at BB&T Ballpark on Thursday, April 9 with their 2015 home opener against the Norfolk Tides (Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles). Season tickets are currently available and fans can purchase tickets online at charlotteknights.com, by phone at 704-274-8282, or in person at the BB&T Ballpark Ticket Office.

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

BB&T Ballpark Awarded Prestigious LEED ® Green Building Certification

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LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.

Charlotte-Knights-2014The Charlotte Knights announced that BB&T Ballpark has been awarded LEED ® (level of certification). LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.

“The Knights organization was committed to the LEED certification of the ballpark,” said Gau Gupte, Odell. “The entire team, including the architects, contractors and engineers, focused the goal of being LEED certified from day one. This included energy efficient systems, high performance building envelope design and green material choices and construction processes.”

The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes, and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. More than 58,000 commercial and institutional projects are currently participating in LEED, comprising more than 10.7 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and more than 140 countries.

BB&T Ballpark achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most-important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “The work of innovative building projects such as BB&T Ballpark is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”

The 2014 inaugural season at BB&T Ballpark was a record-breaking one for the Knights, who led all of Minor League Baseball in attendance with 687,715 fans in 71 games. With 31 sell-out crowds, and an average of 9,686 fans per game, BB&T Ballpark was the most visited ballpark in the country in just its first season.

In anticipation of more interest in the Knights Uptown, Charlotte Knights ownership authorized the creation of a new 501 (c) (3) organization named Knights Charities. The first initiative involved a commemorative brick program installed in phases at BB&T Ballpark’s main gate. Fans responded by investing in hundreds of bricks that netted more than $75,000 to the coffers of Knights Charities.

Knights Charities has already made an impact in the Charlotte community. With help of corporate sponsors, the team has generated more than $70,000. Annual events such as Pink Knights, the Charlotte Knights Golf Classic, and others resulted in more than $35,000. Knights players contributed to the cause with funds raised for runs scored, double plays, and triples.

 

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

Bring school supplies Friday for free ticket

Intimidators teaming up with Walmart for Back to School Night

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Kannapolis-IntimidatorsThe Kannapolis Intimidators have teamed up with Walmart to host Back to School Night on Friday, Aug. 29, featuring a school tools donation. Fans that donate three (3) school supplies at the Box Office will receive a free general admission ticket to that night’s game against the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Gates open at 6 p.m. with first pitch at 7:05 p.m.

School supplies will be donated to Communities in Schools North Carolina. The Intimidators are proud to team up with Walmart for this promotion. Area Walmart stores are encouraging customers to “Build A Communities-In-School-NC-logoBackpack” for elementary, middle and high school students as the new school year gets underway. Items collected through this drive will then be distributed to public school students in need.

 

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

Crawdads Serve at Hickory Soup Kitchen

Dads players helped prepare and serve food over two days

Hickory-CrawdadsThe Hickory Crawdads recently lent a helping hand at the Hickory Soup Kitchen, with the ‘Dads players helping to clean, prepare, and serve food on August 7th & 8th.

Six players and one front office member volunteered over four separate shifts during the two-day span. The Crawdads helped out with everything from peeling potatoes and bagging groceries, to serving food and interacting with the guests.

Hickory-Soup-Kitchen“We are always happy to help out in the community when we get a chance,” said Crawdads General Manager Mark Seaman. “It was a good opportunity for the players to give back and see first hand some of the challenges that our fellow citizens face on a daily basis.”

The Hickory Soup Kitchen began in 1983 with six downtown churches before moving to its current location in 1990. HSK serves an average of 152 people per day and more than 70,000 people every year. The kitchen is open weekdays from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm.

For more information regarding the Hickory Soup Kitchen, contact Executive Director Austin Pearce at (828) 327-4828 or email hickorysoup@embarqmail.com.

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

Crawdads Help Out NC Boys Academy

‘Dads players/coaches help prepare campus for grand opening

Hickory-CrawdadsThe Hickory Crawdads recently teamed up with the newly formed North Carolina Boys Academy, with several ‘Dads players and coaches helping to prepare the NCBA’s Lake Hickory campus for its first ever class of boys this fall.

The entire Crawdads team spent time on July 17th helping to paint several buildings on the campus. The ‘Dads also had a chance to showcase their skills in a whiffle ball game with the boys from Camp David, NCBA’s corresponding summer camp.

Teen-Challenge-International“We were more than happy to spend our time helping out such a good cause,” said Crawdads Manager Corey Ragsdale. “It was good for our guys to be a part of something like that. We also learned that they’re all better baseball players than painters.”

The North Carolina Boy’s Academy is a therapeutic Christian boarding school for teenage boys struggling with life-controlling problems. The program exposes students to godly male roles models in a 12-15 month process that includes 3 phases, P1- Wilderness, P2 – Advanced, P3 -Leadership.

The NCBA’s campus was originally opened as a leadership-training center for Duke Power Co. in 1959. The Boy’s Academy purchased the facility in December of 2013, with the inaugural class scheduled to start this September. The Campus contains 12 buildings and 28 lodging rooms spread across a 16-acre campus on Lake Hickory.

For more information regarding the North Carolina Boys Academy, visit their website at ncboysacademy.org, or contact camp facilitator John Steigerwald at (828) 256-2126.

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