Reading Programs

Cougars Announce 2014-15 Ozzie’s Scholars

March 16, 2015

Winners and their families to be recognized at July 19 game

The Kane County Cougars have designated a total of eight Chicagoland youth as “Ozzie’s Scholars” for the 2014-2015 school year. The Cougars’ reading scholarship program encouraged current and former members of Ozzie’s Reading Club to submit a brief essay explaining how their love for reading was furthered through the Cougars’ reading incentive program.

Since the program’s inception 20 years ago, more than 2 million Chicagoland youth have participated in Ozzie’s Reading Club, which tracks the progress of a students’ reading around the bases of a baseball diamond. Each participating teacher may determine his or her own reading requirements. Students completing the program’s requirements “hit a home run” and earn a free ticket to a Cougars game designated by their school, along with a pre-game parade, Cougars drawstring bag and food voucher.

The following winners have been awarded a scholarship to be used for educational purposes from Ozzie’s Outreach Foundation, the charitable arm of the Cougars organization.

Kayla S. (Ontarioville Elementary, Hanover Park)
Sean L. (Our Lady of Peace School, Darien)
Matthew E. (Newark HS)
Mitchell B. (Batavia HS)
Zachary L. (Hawthorne Elementary, Wheaton)
Paige U. (Meadow Glens Elementary, Naperville)
Olivia G. (Lord & Savior Lutheran School, Crystal Lake)
Logan C. (Clinton Elementary School, South Elgin)

Winners and their families will be recognized on the field before the Sunday, July 19^th Cougars game.

“Congratulations to all of our 2014-15 Ozzie’s Scholars applicants and winners as once again this year, we were encouraged by how many of our young fans have credited their participation in Ozzie’s Reading Club as an important part of their reading development,” Cougars Ozzie’s Reading Club Coordinator Amy Mason said. “We are looking forward to recognizing our winners, along with their families on July 19^th.”

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Kane County Cougars. Click here to view the original story.

Scrappers Announce the Return of Reading Club Program

March 12, 2015

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are pleased to announce the return of the Reading Club presented by Associated School Employees Credit Union (ASECU) and ComDoc. The Reading Club is implemented within schools and libraries from Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Stark, Portage, Mercer (PA) and Lawrence (PA) counties. The goal of this program is to promote the importance of literacy and education while at the same time fostering a life-long love of reading. It’s a completely free program that provides teachers with rewards for students who reach their reading goal. Students that complete the goal set by their teacher receives two FREE tickets to one the designated Reading Club game dates.

Schools and classrooms can sign up for the program by contacting Kate Walsh with the Scrappers at 330-505-0000 or by emailing kwalsh@mvscrappers.com.

Parents, if your child is not participating in the reading club in his/her school; you can sign them up as individuals. You can sign them up by returning an enrollment form and then tracking your child’s reading with the Reading Club bookmark. Once they have reached their goal, your bookmark is now a voucher that is valid for two FREE tickets to one of the designated Reading Club game dates.

The Scrappers open the 2015 season at Eastwood Field on June 25th vs. the State College Spikes. For promotional information, tickets, memberships, or the Scrappers team store visit www.mvscrappers.com or call the front office at (330) 505-0000.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers . Click here to view the original story.

Bourbon Central student wins Hit the Books design contest

March 3, 2015

Ana Flores-Ortiz, a Bourbon Central Elementary student and winner of the Lexington Legends Hit the Books bookmark design contest, was congratulated by the Legends' Big L (center) and Pee Wee during a presentation at the school March 3. (Bourbon Central Elementary/Lexington Legends) — Ana Flores-Ortiz, a Bourbon Central Elementary student and winner of the Lexington Legends Hit the Books bookmark design contest, was congratulated by the Legends’ Big L (center) and Pee Wee during a presentation at the school March 3. (Bourbon Central Elementary/Lexington Legends)

Ana Flores-Ortiz, a fifth grade student at Bourbon Central Elementary School, was the winner of a bookmark design contest that is part of the Lexington Legends Hit the Books reading incentive program sponsored by Waffle House.

Ana received a Legends prize pack, including Legends merchandise, a framed Hit the Books poster featuring her artwork, and membership in the 2015 Little Legends Kids Club. She also will be invited to throw a ceremonial first pitch at a designated Legends game for her school. Bookmarks featuring her artwork will be distributed to students at every school that participates in the Hit the Books program. More than 30,000 students from 74 central Kentucky schools are expected to take part in the program, which runs through April 1.

“Hit the Books will continue to be an important part of community outreach for the Legends,” said Tim Vieira, the Legends’ community outreach coordinator. “We enjoy going out to the schools and meeting with students. It’s great to be part of a program that has a positive impact in the educational development of so many students.”

In Hit the Books, a baseball diamond is used to record credit for a student’s reading. For every book a student reads, a teacher places his or her initials on a base. When the student has all three bases and home plate initialed by the teacher, the student may bring a Hit the Books bookmark to the Legends’ box office at Whitaker Bank Ballpark to exchange it for two tickets to a Legends home game designated for their school.

The 2015 season is the 15^th for Legends baseball, and also marks the 15^th year that the Legends have been associated with Hit the Books. About 205,000 students have participated.

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

Chasers in the Community – March 2015

March 3, 2015

Spotlight: Storm Chasers Participate in “Read Across America” March 2-6

All this week, Storm Chasers staff members will take part in “Read Across America” by donating their time to read to classes at schools throughout the Omaha Metro. The National Education Association’s program is the largest celebration of reading in the country with a purpose of motivating children, promoting student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers.

Additional Community Events for March

Ronald McDonald House of Omaha Dinner – March 16 from 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Jackie Robinson Athletic Scholarship – Application deadline of March 20
“Why I Want to Go to College” Essay Contest – Entry deadline of March 27

Mascot Appearances for March

Read Across America – March 2-6 at Schools throughout the Omaha Metro
Heat the Streets Walk/Run for Warmth – March 7 from 8:00-9:00 a.m. at Midtown Crossing
Dancing with the Omaha Stars – March 7 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Ralston Arena
OPS Summer in the City – March 19 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Monroe Middle School
Autism Night – March 29 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Omaha Children’s Museum

February Volunteering Recap

Total Community Hours Donated by Omaha Storm Chasers Staff – 58.5 Hours

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Omaha Storm Chasers. Click here to view the original story.

Baysox Honor Reading Program Poster Winners

February 6, 2015

The Baysox lovable mascot Louie made visits to schools across the region during the past month to congratulate some very special students. Louie wanted to congratulate the winners of the annual poster contest that kicks off the Read and Hit a Home Run reading program.

All eight winning students are listed below:

Calvert County – Plum Point Middle School – Savannah Hersh – 6th Grade

Anne Arundel County – Central Elementary School – Marissa Beach – 5th Grade

Charles County – Arthur Middleton Elementary School – Desaray Green-Quartey – 4th Grade

Howard County – Trinity School – Ciara O’Connor – 6th Grade

Montgomery County – Forcey Christian School – Zoeii Strong – 5th Grade

Queen Anne’s County – Kennard Elementary School – Sarah Ireland – 4th Grade

Prince George’s County – Drew Freeman Middle School – Kentisha Torries – 7th Grade

St. Mary’s County – Town Creek Elementary School – Owen Corpus – 3rd Grade

The students’ poster designs were selected as the winner for all schools in their county. The poster designed by the winning student will also be displayed in each participating school in their respective counties throughout the program.

Louie surprised the winners during special school assemblies, rewarding them with a framed poster of the design, eight Baysox tickets and a collection of Baysox gear. The students also get a chance to throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the Baysox Reading Night game for their county.

The Baysox would like to thank Read and Hit a Home Run Reading Program sponsor Educational Systems Federal Credit Union for their support of the program. This is the 11th year that Educational Systems Federal Credit Union has sponsored the reading program.

In all, more than 200 schools are registered to participate in the reading program this year. Any student in participating schools who reads at least four books is rewarded with a free ticket to a Baysox game. This is the 19th year the Baysox have overseen the reading program and during that time, the team has helped to promote reading for millions of elementary and middle school students in Maryland. Louie will be visiting students throughout the weeks leading up to the season to show them how fun reading can be.

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

“Hit The Books” Bookmark Contest Winners

January 20, 2015

Overall Bookmark Contest Winner will be announced February 4

The highlight of the Storm Chasers “Hit The Books” Literacy Program, the 2015 Bookmark Contest Winners have been announced out of more than 10,000 submissions. This year’s “Hit The Books” Program saw the most schools participating in its history at 52, reaching 16,583 students.

The “Hit The Books” literacy program, presented by Nebraska Educational Savings Trust, has encouraged area elementary students that reading is an essential skill to have since 2007. Teachers at each school determine four different reading goals for the program. Students who “round the bases” receive four different prizes, including the grand prize of a ticket to a 2015 Storm Chasers game.

“Hit The Books” students can also participate in the Bookmark Contest, with a winner announced for each grade level. The overall winner, whose bookmark is distributed as a prize to all students, will be one of these grade level winners selected by the Storm Chasers:

Kindergarten: Kara Salton – Black Elk Elementary
1^st Grade: Nathan Russell – Wheeler Elementary
2^nd Grade: Blake G. – Black Elk Elementary
3^rd Grade: Giuliana Gagliolo – Reeder Elementary
4^th Grade: Callie Kirchner – Reagan Elementary
5^th Grade: Jenna Christensen – Reagan Elementary
6^th Grade: Nick Brickman – Patriot Elementary

The announcement/presentation for the overall Bookmark Contest winner is planned for February 4.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Omaha Storm Chasers. Click here to view the original story.

Hit The Books bookmark contest winner honored

January 7, 2015

Berlin Intermediate’s Emily Sandt draws winning design

The Delmarva Shorebirds, class “A” affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and Dr. James M. Crouse at The Brace Place, presenting sponsor of the Hit the Books program, honored Emily Sandt of Berlin Intermediate School for winning the 2015 Hit the Books Bookmark Design Contest. Her winning design was distributed to all participating students on the Delmarva Peninsula.

The Hit the Books initiative officially kicks off January 20 and will continue through February 27.

The program encourages elementary and middle school students on the Delmarva Peninsula to read outside of their regular classroom assignments. Students that complete their reading goals receive two free tickets to a Shorebirds home game during the 2015 season.

Sandt’s winning design featured a drawing of Sherman the Shorebird on a baseball field with airplanes flying overhead encouraging students to “Read, Read, Read.”

“Her design perfectly illustrated the goal of the program, to get students to read beyond the classroom,” said Shawn Schoolcraft, Director of Marketing and Community Relations. “We look forward to seeing the kids realize the fruits of their labor at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium this spring.”

In 2015, over 40,000 students from over 100 local schools are participating in the “Hit The Books” program, which is the largest non-school funded reading program on the Delmarva Peninsula.

“Reading books is a favorite pastime of mine and I love to see young people reading books,” said Dr. James M. Crouse at The Brace Place. “Our sponsorship of the Shorebirds ‘Hit the Books’ program is a perfect fit for us at The Brace Place.”

Participating schools will be notified in March about their game date at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, and students will be honored as part of a pregame parade around the field. For more information, contact the Delmarva Shorebirds at 410-219-3112.

Season ticket and group outing packages are currently on sale for the 2015 season. The Shorebirds offer full season tickets, half season tickets, a 22-game plan and a 12-game plan along with a number of opportunities for groups to enjoy a night out at the ballpark. To secure your seat(s), call 410-219-3112.

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

Legends’ donations top $715,000 for 2014

December 22, 2014

14-year total nears $13 million

Lexington Legends President/COO Andy Shea (at left) and LBX President/CEO Eric Sauvage (second from left) present a check to representatives of Kentucky Cancer Link, Susan G. Komen and the Markey Cancer Center for funds raised in the Legends' annual Breast Cancer Awareness game. The Legends make donations to a variety of organizations throughout the region. (Lexington Legends) — Lexington Legends President/COO Andy Shea (at left) and LBX President/CEO Eric Sauvage (second from left) present a check to representatives of Kentucky Cancer Link, Susan G. Komen and the Markey Cancer Center for funds raised in the Legends’ annual Breast Cancer Awareness game. The Legends make donations to a variety of organizations throughout the region. (Lexington Legends)

The Lexington Legends today announced donations for 2014 totaling $715,645 to a variety of non-profit organizations serving central Kentucky. The Ivy Walls Charitable Giving Foundation Fund at Bluegrass Community Foundation, in cooperation with the Legends and business sponsors, has presented checks to organization representatives throughout the month of November.

Ivy Walls Management is a Lexington-based organization that manages the operation of the Legends.

In its 14-year history, the Legends organization has donated close to $13 million to the region.

“There’s nothing more important to our organization than giving back to our community,” said Sarah Bosso, the Legends’ director of community relations and special events. “Each season, the Legends look forward to working with all of these amazing organizations and to developing new partnerships as well.”

“The Legends will always be active in the community,” added Legends President/COO Andy Shea. “We’re proud to have the opportunity to support these great organizations.”

Among organizations receiving funds in 2014 were:

–Boy Scouts of America Bluegrass Council: The Legends supported the Boy Scouts through their participation in the “Brave the Blue III” campaign, in which donations were raised by those who rappelled down the 30-story Financial Center building in downtown Lexington. The Legends’ Big L has been among the rappellers in all three years of the campaign.

-Breast Cancer Research and Awareness: The Legends held a Breast Cancer Awareness Night July 12. Funds raised through an auction of pink jerseys and pink bases used during the game, along with t-shirt sales, benefited Kentucky Pink Connection, which serves breast cancer patients on a personal basis by reducing or eliminating barriers to screening, diagnosis and treatment; The Markey Cancer Center, established in 1983 as a Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Susan G. Komen, the world’s largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer. The Legends and LBX held a dinner, with proceeds going to those same three breast cancer charities.

–Military Missions: The Legends’ Military Appreciation night June 14 included an auction of camouflage jerseys to benefit Military Missions, a local non-profit organization that supports troops in a variety of ways, including the sending of care packages.

–P.A.W.S. and the Lexington Humane Society: The Legends held five “Bark in the Park” nights during the 2014 season, on which dog owners were invited to bring their dogs to a Legends game. The “admission” price for dogs was a donation to the Paris Animal Welfare Society (P.A.W.S.) and the Lexington Humane Society.

-St. Joseph Hospital Nursing Scholarship Fund: At the end of every baseball season, the Legends hold a silent auction for the home jerseys worn during the season with proceeds going to the St. Joseph Hospital Nursing Scholarship Program. About $4,000 was raised from the 2014 auction.

–United Way of the Bluegrass: The Legends and United Way are longtime partners on ticket donations to United Way donors, as listed below.

–Vs. Cancer: Legends President/COO Andy Shea and catcher Chad Johnson had their heads shaved following the Legends game August 15 as part of a Vs. Cancer fund-raiser and sign of solidarity with young cancer patients.

In-kind donations

The Legends also make substantial in-kind donations throughout the year to many groups and organizations, including a long-standing relationship with United Way of the Bluegrass. Donors to the annual United Way of the Bluegrass campaign receive two free box seat tickets to a Legends home game.

In the 2014 season, more than 84,000 box seat tickets were donated to various organizations and camps through the Legends’ partnership with United Way, along with Hit the Books, a Legends’ campaign to encourage Central Kentucky students to read. More than 300 donations were made through the Legends online donation request system at lexingtonlegends.com under the “Community” tab.

In addition, the Legends made more than 200 public appearances in 2014 with their mascots, Big L and Pee Wee, at schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other organizations.

Aramark, the Legends’ concession partner, made significant donations to school booster clubs, primarily for work done at concession stands during games.

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

San Jose Giants Release 2014 Community Report

December 4, 2014

Report showcases organization’s impact in the South Bay

The San Jose Giants released today their 2014 Community Report. The report is a complete detail of the organization’s community involvement and contributions. From expanding the team’s extensive fundraising efforts to a record number of mascot appearances and the organization’s rise from twenty-fifth in Minor League Baseball’s social media rankings to second overall, the San Jose Giants presence was felt well beyond the Municipal Stadium gates this year.

“I want to personally thank all of our fans and partners for your loyalty and passion for the San Jose Giants and our place in the community,” said Daniel Orum, San Jose Giants President and CEO. “Through the organization’s extensive work with youth sports groups, schools and regional non-profit organizations, the team has introduced baseball to millions of homes in Northern California and this year alone raised over $480,000 for charitable causes.”

The 2014 Community Report showcases the variety of charitable efforts the San Jose Giants are involved with both inside and beyond the Municipal Stadium gates. Highlights of the report include over 150 appearances made by San Jose Giants personnel, unique, community-centered evening’s at Municipal Stadium, events in partnership with the Giants Community Fund to help under served youth and in-kind donations to more than 750 local and national organizations.

For more information on the San Jose Giants and how to get your organization involved next season, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.

Read 2014 San Jose Giants Community Report

This article originally appeared on the official website of the San Jose Giants. Click here to view the original story.

Legends invite schools to ‘Hit the Books’

October 8, 2014

Schools who participate in the Hit the Books program can arrange a guest reader appearance by the Legends' Big L. — Schools who participate in the Hit the Books program can arrange a guest reader appearance by the Legends’ Big L.

It’s time for elementary schools to “Hit the Books” with the Lexington Legends.

Teachers, librarians, media specialists and other educators are encouraged to register with the Legends to get their elementary schools involved in the Hit the Books reading program for the 2014-15 school year.

In Hit the Books, a baseball diamond is used to record credit for a student’s reading. For every book a student reads, a teacher places his or her initials on a base. Kindergarten students may participate by having their teachers read four books to them.

When the student has all three bases and home plate initialed by the teacher, the student may bring a Hit the Books bookmark to the Legends’ box office at Whitaker Bank Ballpark to exchange it for two tickets to a Legends home game designated for their school.

The school with the highest bookmark redemption (based on percentage of enrollment, minimum 50 students) will receive a school-wide reward from the “Hit the Books” sponsor.

To begin the process, educators must register with the Legends by November 14 to ensure their school’s participation. Registration information is available at www.lexingtonlegends.com.

“Hit the Books is one of the Legends’ favorite community programs,” said Sarah Bosso, the Legends’ director of community relations and special events. “Encouraging the students of central Kentucky to read and show off their artistic creativity through the bookmark design contest is very rewarding. Big L loves visiting all the participating schools, and we hope there will be more for this year’s program than ever before.”

In addition, the annual bookmark design contest is under way and will run through December 12. The winning student will have his or her artwork featured on the official 2015 Hit the Books bookmark and poster that are distributed to every student participating in the reading program, which runs through March 31, 2015. About 23,000 students participated during the 2013-14 school year.

Schedule a visit by Big L

The Lexington Legends and Big L would like to visit any participating school and serve as a guest reader for any class or scheduled Media Center time to encourage students to complete the Hit the Books program and redeem their bookmarks for Legends game tickets. For more information, contact Sarah Bosso at (859) 422-7855.

The 2015 season will be the 15th for Legends baseball and also marks the 15th year that the Legends have been associated with Hit the Books. About 195,000 students have participated.

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

Blue Rocks honored with Minker Award

October 8, 2014

Community service award is named after Wilmington team’s founder

The Wilmington Blue Rocks were honored by the Carolina League on Wednesday with the Matt Minker Community Service Award, which goes to the club that best demonstrates an outstanding, on-going commitment to charitable service, support, and leadership within its community. The award is named after the Blue Rocks’ founder, who owned the club until his death in 2007. Minker, whose construction company also built Frawley Stadium, is still the team’s honorary president. It is the first year the title has been awarded to an entire organization, after going to individual players since its inception in 2009.

“Matt Minker was instrumental in laying the foundation for the Blue Rocks and for the franchise’s success in the years to follow,” said Blue Rocks general manager Chris Kemple. “It is fitting and appropriate that this honor bears his name and we are absolutely privileged to be the first organizational recipient.”

The Blue Rocks won the award thanks in large part to their numerous school programs, charitable endeavors and hospital visits.

As an organization the Blue Rocks work with area schools to promote academic achievement (Rocky’s Reading Challenge), citizenship (Outstanding Student Program), and active lifestyles (Titus Sports Champions Physical Health Program). The team helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for good causes through partnerships with Habitat For Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs of DE, Fight for the Gold, Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition and many other charities in 2014. It also contributed school supplies to the Red Clay School Consolidated School District during the Remax Stuff the Bus Campaign and donated thousands of tickets to other worthy community programs. Several times each season the team also visited the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital For Children, brightening the spirits of that facility’s patients and their families.

“We could not accomplish much of what we do without the partnership and cooperation of our players and the Kansas City Royals organization,” said Blue Rocks director of community affairs Kevin P. Linton. “Their commitment to community fits perfectly with the vision that Matt Minker set forth for the Blue Rocks franchise and that we continue to follow to this day.”

Community service is so engrained within the organization that three of the five times the award was presented to individual players it went to Blue Rocks. Everett Teaford was the inaugural winner in 2009 and was followed by Tim Melville in 2011 and Whit Merrifield in 2012.

As the Carolina League’s recipient of the Matt Minker Award, the Blue Rocks received the eight-team league’s automatic nomination for the John Henry Moss Community Service Award, given out by Minor League Baseball at its annual national convention, to be held this December in San Diego.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Click here to view the original story.

Squirrels Nominated For John Henry Moss Community Service Award

October 7, 2014

Richmond Tabbed by Eastern League for Award in 5th Season

The Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, are pleased to announce that the organization has been nominated by the Eastern League of Professional Baseball Clubs for the 2014 John Henry Moss Community Service Award. The league nominates just one team for the award, presented annually by Minor League Baseball.

The John Henry Moss Community Service Award is bestowed upon a club that demonstrates an outstanding, on-going commitment to charitable service, support and leadership within their local community and within the baseball industry.

Community impact has been a foundational focal point for the Squirrels since their inception in 2010. The Squirrels’ nomination comes following a season in which they continued to expand many of their community aims. That included the launch of the Squirrels’ new non-profit arm, Flying Squirrels Charities, created with the goal of growing opportunities for local children. The first major fundraising campaign for Flying Squirrels Charities was “Smooch-a-Pig,” which included the involvement of 10 local celebrities and benefitted “Operation Renovation.” The campaign, which endeavored to rebuild 12 little league fields for the Richmond City Department of Parks & Recreation, raised over $60,000.

“There are many awards that the Squirrels as an organization would be delighted to receive,” said Flying Squirrels’ Vice President & COO Todd “Parney” Parnell. “However, this nomination is of particular significance to us. Community service is the bedrock of the Squirrels’ organization, and it is gratifying that our sustained effort continues to have a profound impact.”

The Squirrels continue to be one of the most active teams in professional sports within their community. Among their other programs and highlights:

“Go Nuts for Reading Program (39,000 student participants)
Flying Squirrels Art Contest (5^th Year)
Score an “A”, Score a Ticket Program
Kroger Squirrels Tails Kids Club (24,000 Members)
In-Season Youth Camps
Drives (Food, Books, School Supplies, Blood)
Mustaches for Kids Program
Ed Randall’s Bat for the Cure
Charitable Events (Turn Left Golf Classic, Hot Stove Banquet, Nutzy’s Rotary Funn Run, Squirreloween, Puritan Cleaners Coats for Kids Drive, etc.)
450 Mascot Appearances Annually (Local Schools, Businesses, Non-Profits, Festivals, etc.)
30 Player and Coaches Appearances During the 2014 Season (200+ Hours of Community Service)
Executive Speaking Engagements (100+ in 2014)
ASK Fun Walk & 5K (Ask Foundation – 9^th Annual)
Camp Warrior
Flying Squirrels Regional Youth Baseball Tournament
Monetary Gifts & Gifts In-Kind ($150,000)

The John Henry Moss Community Service Award is named after the longtime, former South Atlantic League president, who founded the SAL and presided over it for a half-century (1959-2008).

The John Henry Moss Community Service Award will be presented at the Baseball Winter Meetings, which will be held in San Diego, CA, from December 7-11.

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

C’s Support Raise-A-Reader

September 26, 2014

The Canadians Front Office staff set the alarm clock to ‘early’ this past week to wake up and hit the streets of downtown Vancouver in support of the Vancouver Sun’s annual Raise-A-Reader program supporting Children’s literacy.

“This is a program that helps countless families from all across Canada and it is one of the events that we very much enjoy supporting,” states Canadians Community Relations Director Jeff Holloway.

“The Vancouver Sun is a publication that supports us on a number of levels well beyond covering the outcome of our games. Our working relationship, combined with the support this charity provides to families makes this a ‘can’t miss event’ for our organization”.

Once a year, the Canadians join a number of other teams and supporters on the streets of Vancouver selling Vancouver Sun newspapers by donation to those heading into work. This program has raised millions in support of children’s literacy and once again, despite soggy conditions, was once again a great success.

The Vancouver Canadians wish to thank Rose Isla and her staff at the Vancouver Sun for their support and efforts regarding the Raise-A-Reader program. Congratulations!

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

Hooks Earn Community Service Nomination

September 25, 2014

The Hooks have earned the Texas League’s nomination for the John H. Moss Community Service Award, presented annually to a minor league team for its commitment to charitable service and support within the community and baseball industry.

In 2014, the Hooks continued their long-standing community initiatives and took on new initiatives. Whataburger Youth Sports Day stood out as the newest addition. At every April and May Sunday game, youth baseball leagues from around South Texas received free game tickets and participated in a pre-game parade around the warning track. Over 4,100 tickets were distributed among eight organizations.

Some of the longer running programs that continued in 2014 included the Get Hooked on Reading program, the Stripes Diamond and the South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet.

“One of the telling indicators of a club’s successful integration in their community is their commitment to good works,” Texas League President Tom Kayser said. “The breadth of the Hooks giving in the greater Corpus Christi area is stunning. With the willing cooperation of the Houston Astros, the Hooks have long been known to involve their players in a wide range of wonderful causes. Additionally, the Hooks and their staff have worked with a variety of causes, organizations and institutions that has resulted in wide ranging benefits to untold numbers of area residents.”

The team’s oldest initiative is the Get Hooked on Reading program, started in 2004 and sponsored by Flint Hills Resources, which encourages children in grades one through eight to read during the summer months. The Stripes Diamond gives youth teams a chance to play at Whataburger Field. Located beyond the center field fence, the diamond has hosted over 540 squads, including 36 in 2014.

The largest off-field baseball event in the Coastal Bend, the South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet serves as the unofficial “first pitch” to high school baseball each winter. The event features recognition for high school baseball and softball players, college baseball players, pros and a lifetime achievement award recipient. Growing year after year, the annual dinner attracted over 700 attendees in 2014.

In addition to these community projects, the Hooks also participate in several fundraisers throughout the year, including AT&T Shirt off the Back Night and the Grande Grand Prize Game.

Shirt off the Back Night takes place during the final homestand of each season and postgame player jerseys are raffled off to fans, who receive one ticket upon entry with the opportunity to purchase more. The money raised from additional raffle ticket purchases is then distributed to a non-profit organization.

The Grand Prize Game, sponsored by Grande Communications, occurs once a month during the season. By purchasing a baseball for one dollar, fans have a chance to win or share $1,000 if they can chuck the ball into a wine barrel from the stands. Like Shirt off the Back Night, proceeds from this promotion also benefit a non-profit.

Each minor league may nominate one of its teams for the award and the nominees are then reviewed by the MiLB Awards Committee, with recommendations being presented to MiLB senior management for a final decision.

The community service award’s namesake, John H. Moss, founded the South Atlantic League in 1957 and served as its president for 50 years. The Grand Junction Rockies earned the inaugural honor last season.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Corpus Christi Hooks. Click here to view the original story.

Fang’s Reading Club returns for the school year

September 22, 2014

It is time for your school to help celebrate the 20^th year of Fang’s Reading Club presented by Learning Rx during the 2014-2015 school year! The mascot of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers is ready to help kids from kindergarten through 5^th grade get excited about reading!

Fang’s Reading club started in 1996 and grew to 178 schools and over 44,000 students last year. There is plenty of room for more for this school year.

Teachers and reading coordinators have until November 21 to get involved in this popular Timber Rattlers program.

Personnel at the participating schools have the flexibility to design the program to meet the needs of their students. The Timber Rattlers, Learning Rx, Badger Sports Park, and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board will provide participating students with incentive prizes as they reach goals within the program. Students who meet all of their goals for the program are rewarded with a FREE ticket as part of their school’s Family Night at a Timber Rattlers game in 2015.

Please head to Fang’s Reading Club page at the Timber Rattlers website for full details, including a sample time line, dates for Reading Club games, and how your school can schedule a visit from Fang.

Contact Dayna Baitinger at dbaitinger@timberrattlers.com, (800) WI-TIMBER, or (920) 733-4152 if you have any questions or would like to register your class or school for the 2014-2015 school year.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Click here to view the original story.

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