Operation Homefront

Squirrels Benefit Troops with Homefront IPA

May 23, 2014

Beer that benefits Troops available tonight at The Diamond

RichmondFlyingSquirrels_2014-05-23 — Proceeds from Friday’s release of Homefront IPA will benefit Operation Homefront.

The Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants are excited to announce that once again Homefront IPA, a specialty beer brewed by Center of the Universe Brewery with all proceeds going directly to Operation Homefront, will be released at The Diamond and available for a limited time on Friday night. Center of the Universe Brewery along with 10 other designated breweries across the country brew this IPA for the Memorial Day weekend to benefit Operation Homefront, a non-profit with a nationwide organization that provides emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has provided assistance to thousands of military families since its inception in 2002. The 11 breweries combined donate 100% of proceeds and will raise a minimum of $150,000 for Operation Homefront this year.

“Homefront IPA is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to all of the men and women who dedicate themselves to protecting our safety and our way of life,” said Chris Ray, Co-founder of Center of the Universe and former Major League pitcher. “By releasing this beer so close to Memorial Day at The Diamond, we hope to give a reminder to everyone of how important the past, present, and future members of our armed forces are and to remember the ultimate sacrifices so many have made in their pursuit of our freedom.”

A limited amount of Homefront IPA will be for sale at the top of the main entrance to the right of the stage. It is brewed with West Coast hops, fresh orange zest, and aged on Louisville Slugger Maple bats. The bats will then be auction off with the proceeds also benefiting Operation Homefront.

The Participating Breweries:
Center of the Universe Brewing Company, Ashland, VA
Fremont Brewing Company, Seattle, WA
Sly Fox Brewing Company, Pottstown, PA
Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO
Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Houston, TX
21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Left Hand Brewing Company, Longmont, CO
Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA
Palmetto Brewing Company, Charleston, SC
Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, HI

The Flying Squirrels begin a seven game homestand tonight at 7:05PM with postgame fireworks. Limited tickets are available through the box office and online at www.squirrelsbaseball.com.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Click here to view the original story.

RiverDogs and Palmetto Brewing Join for “Hops for Heroes”, Will Serve Homefront IPA at Riley Park

May 13, 2014

Special Craft Beer Was Aged in Louisville Slugger Bats; Proceeds Benefit Operation Homefront

There aren’t many things more American than baseball, cold beer, and our Military. That trio will come together in a big way this year as the Charleston RiverDogs and Palmetto Brewery have partnered to help raise funds for military themed charity Operation Homefront.

The Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees will be the first venue in Charleston to sell Homefront IPA, and all proceeds benefit Operation Homefront. The RiverDogs will sell this special beer with the slogan “Hops for Heroes” during their home game against the Asheville Tourists on Thursday, May 29 to coincide with Military Appreciation Night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

Homefront IPA was developed in 2011 by Fremont Brewing Company of Seattle, Wash., and Center of the Universe Brewing Company of Ashland, Va., in order to raise money and awareness for Operation Homefront.

Aged on Louisville Slugger maple bats, this specially-made craft beer does more than just quench one’s thirst as it improves the lives of our soldiers. Homefront IPA is a unique charity beer in that 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to Operation Homefront. One of the solid Maple Bats will be auctioned off during the game to raise money as well.

“We feel certain that our fans that enjoy a craft beer will certainly enjoy Homefront IPA while assisting our military troops and their families,” said RiverDogs General Manager Dave Echols. “We’re proud to have first rights and to be the only site in the state of South Carolina to get this beer.”

“Palmetto Brewing Company is honored to support this very worthy cause with the Charleston RiverDogs,” said Ed Falkenstein, Founder, Palmetto Brewing Company. “We recognize the service of our men and women in the Armed Forces and respect the sacrifice they and their families make every day. Donating 100 percent of our proceeds to this project is a small acknowledgment. Enjoy a Homefront IPA at the ballpark with food and friends.”

Palmetto Brewing, located in downtown Charleston, is one of only two Southeastern distributors (Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Fla. is the other) that dispense Homefront IPA. Other providers include Center of the Universe Brewing Company of Ashland, Va.; Fremont Brewing Company of Seattle, Wash.; Sly Fox of Pottstown, Pa.; Perennial Artisan Ales of St. Louis, Mo.; Saint Arnold Brewing Company of Houston; Left Hand Brewing Company of Longmont, Co.; Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, Calif.; and Maui Brewing Company of Lahaina, Hi.

Operation Homefront is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance for American military troops, the families they leave behind, and wounded servicemen when they return home. The organization raises funds to provide emergency, financial, and morale assistance to families while troops are participating in a tour of duty. Since its creation in 2002 Operation Homefront has met over 741,000 needs of military families and military personnel returning from duty.

Operation Homefront was developed to support the families of deployed service members immediately following 9/11. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the organization currently provides services to military families across the nation with 23 locations serving 43 states. The national office handles cases in states that do not have their own local offices. The majority of its clients are the lowest-paid service members, the E-1 through E-6 enlisted ranks.

The RiverDogs are currently home through Friday evening hosting the Savannah Sand Gnats tonight and the Hickory Crawdads for three games beginning Wednesday night. Tickets are on sale for the remainder of the RiverDogs 2014 season. For more information, please contact the Riley Park Box Office at 843/577-DOGS (3647) or online at www.riverdogs.com. If fans cannot make it to the ballpark, they are encouraged to tune in to all the action this year both home and away worldwide on www.riverdogs.com and locally on 1250 WTMA, the RiverDogs’ new radio home.

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

Squirrels Team Up With Hops For Heroes

May 7, 2013

Homefront IPA to be Served at The Diamond on May 23rd to Benefit Operation Homefront

RICHMOND, VA – The Richmond Flying Squirrels will partner with Hops for Heroes to serve Homefront IPA at The Diamond during their game against the Trenton Thunder on Thursday, May 23^rd. Homefront IPA will be available at the Squirrels’ Virginia Beer Taste the Local stand with all proceeds benefitting Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that assists the families of military personnel when they fall on hard times.

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Hops For Heroes

Additionally, the team will hold a special media tasting of Homefront IPA at The Diamond on Wednesday, May 22^nd, at 2 p.m. All media members are invited to attend/cover the tasting.

The goal of Hops for Heroes is to raise money and awareness for Operation Homefront through the sale of Homefront IPA and its relationship with the craft brewing and professional baseball industries.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Hops for Heroes to aid Operation Homefront,” said Flying Squirrels Vice President & COO Todd “Parney” Parnell. “We are constantly striving to honor and assist our military personnel, and to be able to do in such a creative and baseball-oriented way is extremely exciting for us.”

Hops for Heroes is a charitable effort started in 2011 in Seattle, Washington with Fremont Brewing Company and Chris and Phil Ray of Center of the Universe Brewing Company (COTU). Homefront IPA is a beer that was created by both breweries and brewed at Fremont in order to raise money for Operation Homefront. The beer was aged on unfinished Louisville Slugger maples bats and sold in both bottles and kegs throughout the Seattle area. 100% of the proceeds were given to the Washington Chapter of Operation Homefront. Once the bats were dried out, they were auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to Operation Homefront. For more information about Hops for Hereos, please visit http://www.hopsforheroes.com

“From its beginning in 2011, Homefront IPA has been all about beer, baseball, and most importantly, America’s Troops,” said Chris Ray of Center of the Universe Brewery Company. ” It debuted at Safeco Field in 2011, so it was only appropriate to continue that tradition with the Flying Squirrels in 2013. We believe the Flying Squirrels share the same belief in charity and community as we do, making it a perfect partnership.”

Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that assists the families of military personnel when they fall on hard times. From car payments to medical bills, Operation Homefront provides financial assistance for all types of family emergencies. For more information, please visit www.operationhomefront.com.

In 2012, Hops for Heroes expanded to include six total breweries from all over the country. Each brewery has been paired with their local Operation Homefront chapter. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the beer will go directly to the local chapters. In addition to the breweries, sponsors have volunteered to donate some of the hops and grains to lower the cost of producing the beer and thus increasing the donation to Operation Homefront. Hops for Heroes has professional baseball player ambassadors for each of the breweries associated with the project. This allows for an increase in awareness of the effort and the charity. Louisville Slugger has also donated six laser-inscribed bats for each brewery.

The media tasting on the 22^nd will also include media availability from Flying Squirrels’ personnel, Chris Ray and members of the United States Military based at Fort Lee, located in Petersburg, VA.

Tickets are currently available for the Squirrels game on May 23^rd, as well as to all remaining 2013 home games. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit SquirrelsBaseball.com, call (804) 359-FUNN (3866) or stop by the Flying Squirrels Ticket Office at The Diamond.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Click here to view the original story.

Gwinnett Braves Donate Over $150,000 to Local Non-Profits During Inaugural Season

September 7, 2009

During the Gwinnett Braves inaugural season, the team donated over $150,000 to local non-profits as a result of fundraisers completed during the team’s season. The G-Braves showcased the groups during a pre-game presentation on Saturday, September 5 when the team took on the Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox) at 6:00 p.m.

“Gwinnett County is known for its strong sense of community and since our team arrived, we have been wholeheartedly welcomed into this close-knit population,” said Gwinnett Braves General Manager Bruce Baldwin. “It is only right that we give back to the people that not only brought us here, but also to the people that continue to make Gwinnett County our home.”

Volunteers from Exodus Outreach, Collins Hill High School (Band Boosters, Spirit Club, Takedown Club and Lacrosse), St. Monica’s Knights of Columbus and Grayson Takedown Club worked with ARAMARK, the food and beverage provider at Gwinnett Stadium, to staff select concession stands throughout the season. In return, the groups earned a portion of that stand’s profit. Heading into the final weekend of the season the groups raised a combined $142,204.75 for their efforts.

In addition to the concession fundraiser, the Gwinnett Braves partnered with local non-profits to hold 50/50 raffles at each weekend game. Combined the 50/50 raffles resulted in over $7,000 for the following groups:
233rd Seabee Battalion
American Diabetes Association
Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends
Autism Speaks
Beta Sigma Phi
Caminar Latino
Children’s Miracle Network
Children’s Restoration Network
Family Promise of Gwinnett
Foster Children’s Foundation
Gwinnett Ballet Theater
Gwinnett Choral Guild
Gwinnett County Special Olympics
Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity
Gwinnett Humane Society
Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation
Happy Tails
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
March of Dimes
Metro Atlanta YMCA
Operation Homefront
The Hope Clinic
Toys for Tots

Every season, the Gwinnett Braves players and coaches combine to make one special gift to a local charity. This year, the team will donate the funds necessary to build a portable bocce court for the Gwinnett County Special Olympics.