$61,000 Awarded Through Home Runs For Heroes Program

JERSEY SHORE, NJ – The 2022 Home Runs for Heroes Program wrapped up its 14th season scoring $61,000 in grants for 14 nonprofit partners serving local members of the United States Military and Veterans. Each charity partner was assigned an inning at the beginning of the season, and each home run hit at ShoreTown Ballpark during their designated inning scored a $1,000 donation.

“OceanFirst Foundation is honored to work our incredible Home Runs for Heroes partners and we’re proud to share that this special program has resulted in $560,000 in grants over 14 amazing Jersey Shore BlueClaws seasons. We take great pride in supporting the local heroes who protect and have served our great nation. Thank you Jersey Shore BlueClaws and Townsquare Media – 96.7/104.1 Cat Country for your partnership over the last 14 Seasons!” – Katherine Durante, Executive Director, OceanFirst Foundation.

“Deborah Hospital Foundation is a grateful partner with OceanFirst Foundation, Jersey Shore BlueClaws, and Townsquare. We’re extremely appreciative to have received a $4,000 grant from this year’s Home Runs for Heroes Program. The grant will support the HeroCare Connect program which provides high quality concierge healthcare navigation services to Veterans, active duty and retired military, and their dependents. We look forward to participating again next year. Go BlueClaws!” – Steve Toal, Chief Development Officer, Deborah Hospital Foundation.

“Military causes are very close to us all and we’re honored that OceanFirst Foundation has continued this amazing program with the BlueClaws once again,” said BlueClaws Team President Joe Ricciutti. “The program helps a grouping of amazing, local, charities that help veterans and we thank OceanFirst Foundation for their support.”

Recipient organizations included: American National Red Cross, Army Emergency Relief, Catholic Charities (Diocese of Trenton), Ma Deuce Deuce, Chariot Riders, Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Fund, Vetwork, Navy-Marine Corps Relief, National Guard State Family Readiness Council, GI Go Fund, Cape May Coast Guard Foundation, Jewish Federation of Southern Ocean County, Deborah Hospital Foundation, and Homes For All.

The $500,000 mark was eclipsed on the first home run of 2022, hit by DJ Stewart in the second game of the season on April 9th. Baron Radcliff led the team with seven home runs at ShoreTown Ballpark. Rixon Wingrove had six home runs and Carlos De La Cruz added five.

About OceanFirst Foundation
OceanFirst Foundation empowers organizations to think bigger, solve more problems, and make life better in the neighborhoods served by OceanFirst Bank. OceanFirst Foundation’s priorities include Health & Wellness, Housing, Improving the Quality of Life, and Youth Development and Education. Since 1996, OceanFirst Foundation has awarded more than 8,600 grants totaling more than $46 million to non-profits and schools within our footprint. Learn more at oceanfirstfdn.org.

About the Jersey Shore BlueClaws
The BlueClaws are the Jersey Shore’s top stop for affordable, family entertainment. In 2022, they welcomed their 8-millionth fan to ShoreTown Ballpark since team’s 2001 inception. Additionally, the BlueClaws had 14 sellouts across the summer. Opening Night at the Jersey Shore is set for Tuesday, April 11th and 2023 ticket packages and group outings are currently on sale at BlueClaws.com or by calling 732-901-7000 option 3.

-Jersey Shore BlueClaws/OceanFirst Foundation-

Come Support Making Strides against Breast Cancer on October 23rd at Fluor Field!

Come support Making Strides against Breast Cancer this October 23rd at Fluor Field! The Making Strides movement raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.

To learn more about how to get involved with this special event, click HERE

Walk to End Alzheimer’s Returns to Fluor Field this Saturday

Walk to End Alzheimer’s is an inspiring event that calls on all ages to join the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The Greenville Drive is honored to yet again be the host for this amazing event, so come out this Saturday to show your support! Day of registration will begin at 8 AM.

For more information and to register, click HERE.

The 7th Annual SC Veterans Upstate Salute Is November 6th at Fluor Field!

The Drive are excited to team up with fellow Upstate Veterans Alliance partners General Electric, Prisma Health, and Michelin for the 7th Annual SC Veterans Upstate Salute! You’re invited to join us in this FREE celebration on Sunday, November 6th at Fluor Field, as we will honor our local veterans with an evening full of entertainment.

The Fluor Field gates will open at 3 PM. Highlights of the evening include a live concert from Colt Ford, a 21-gun salute, a Special Forces jump team performance, an aerial flyover by the Warbirds Flyover Team and opportunities throughout the evening on the Fluor Field concourse to meet community agencies supporting veterans and their families . The night will conclude with a spectacular fireworks show! The concession stands at Fluor Field will be open throughout the evening for your favorite food and drinks.

We hope to see you at the ballpark for this special event! Learn more about the event and claim your complimentary tickets HERE.

Hispanic Heritage Festival Will Be Held At Fluor Field on October 2nd

The Greenville Drive is excited to have the Hispanic Heritage Festival happening at Fluor Field on October 2nd! We are all too familiar with the importance of celebrating Hispanic Culture and look forward to this incredible event. The festival aims to promote the heritage and culture of the Hispanic community, while raising funds for higher education for students of Hispanic descent. The festival is for the entire community, and we hope to see you there!

For more information, please visit https://www.ahamsc.org/hhf-overview

Walk to End Alzheimer’s and Walk to To Remember Will Take Place on October 1st at Fluor Field

10/1: Walk to End Alzheimer’s/ Walk to Remember

Walk to End Alzheimer’s is an inspiring event that calls on all ages to join the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The Greenville Drive is honored to yet again be the host for this amazing event. Registration will begin at 8 am on October 1st.

For more information and to register, click HERE.

Later in the day, a Walk to Remember will take place at 1 PM at Fluor Field. Walk to remember is a program to honor and remember the precious children who have died because of pregnancy or infant loss.

To register, please visit http://shareupstate.com/walk-to-remember/

BlueClaws, RWJBarnabas Health to Host Equipment Drive Over Last Homestand

The BlueClaws and RWJBarnabas Health are pleased to host a baseball equipment drive at the games from September 6th – 11th! The drive will benefit communities in the Dominican Republic and provide education and life skills using baseball at the foundation.

Donate at the NJEA Ticket Kiosk on the concourse behind home plate.

Fans that donate will receive two complimentary tickets to BlueClaws Opening Night, set for April 11, 2023.

Click here to order tickets to the final homestand of the season.

-Jersey Shore BlueClaws-

The Drive Will Host Their Second Innovation and Entrepreneurship Night on September 8th!

The Greenville Drive are excited to host their second annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Night at Fluor Field September 8th.

Join us to celebrate the entrepreneurs, leaders, businesses and organizations advancing Greenville’s innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Attending will be some of Greenville’s up-and-coming startup founders. On the concourse, there will be highly engaging and interactive exhibits from leading innovative organizations that include:

  • City of Greenville
  • Greer Development
  • Mill Village
  • And Many More!

You can also enjoy all these fun exhibits while drinking affordable beer since it’s Dollar Drink Night!

Purchase your tickets here to be a part of this fun, signature event! Gates open at 6:00 PM while first pitch is 7:05 PM.

The Greenville Drive is Honored to Host the 9/11 Stair Climb for Another Year

Every year The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation hosts a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. This event is a way to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live on September 11, 2001. Each participant pays tribute to a FDNY firefighter by climbing the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center. Your individual tribute not only remembers the sacrifice of a FDNY brother, but symbolically completes their heroic journey to save others. Through firefighter and community participation we can ensure that each of the 343 firefighters is honored and that the world knows we will never forget.

The Greenville Drive is honored the event will take place at Fluor Field for the third year in a row. For more information and to register for the event, click HERE. We look forward to seeing the community come together to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice!

Greenville Drive Announce Dr. Burke Royster as Organization’s 16th Annual Green Day Honoree

Greenville, S.C. – The Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, announced today that Dr. Burke Royster has been selected as the honoree for the team’s annual Green Day celebration, presented by TD Bank, this year to be held on Wednesday August 10th at Fluor Field when the Drive host the Hickory Crawdads.

Each year, the Drive pays tribute to an individual who has helped make Greenville one of the most livable, desired, and thriving cities in the country. Throughout his tenure leading Greenville County Schools, Dr. Royster has helped not only to improve the district’s overall report rating but also to deliver enhancements across the board in instructional delivery, student engagement, and rigor while achieving a double-digit increase in the county’s high school graduation rate. He has also helped to create innovative public/private partnerships and curriculum changes like the Graduation Plus program that have resulted in developing a more prepared area workforce. The Drive are excited and honored to recognize Dr. Royster as this year’s Green Day honoree.

“As long-standing supporters of our public schools, the Drive organization knows that there is no more direct and tangible impact on the future than education,” said Greenville Drive President and Owner Craig Brown. “As we celebrate Green Day this year, we’re honored to recognize and celebrate Dr. Royster for his efforts in empowering and educating all of our community’s young people and preparing them for an even brighter tomorrow.”

“I greatly appreciate this recognition, and I’m deeply honored to serve alongside the 11,000 employees within Greenville County Schools who are working to inspire, support and prepare our students each and every day,” said Dr. Royster. “We cannot do what we do without the leadership of the GCS Board of Trustees and significant community partnerships like the one we have with the Greenville Drive. I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate on Green Day all that Greenville County Schools and this community have accomplished, and I look forward to being a part of the continued progress as we make sure that Greenville County remains one of the best places in the country to live, learn, and work.”

Royster joins an acclaimed group of Green Day honorees, including Mayor Max Heller and his wife, Trudy (2006); Greenville City Councilwoman Lillian Brock Flemming and Greenville County Councilwoman Xanthene Norris (2007); former Greenville Technical College President Dr. Tom Barton (2008); businessman and philanthropist C. Dan Joyner (2009); civic leader, judge and attorney Merl Code (2010); former S.C. Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley (2011); South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Founder Dr. Virginia Uldrick (2012); environmentalist and attorney Tommy Wyche (2013); philanthropists Hayne and Anna Kate Hipp (2014); Centennial American Properties CEO David Glenn (2015); Erwin Penland Co-Founder Joe Erwin (2016); Hughes Development Corporation Chairman Bob Hughes (2017); Spinx Chairman Stewart Spinks (2018); Southernside Neighborhood President Mary Duckett (2019) and Mayor Knox White (2021).

In honor of Green Day and Greenville’s birthday celebration, Drive players will wear special green uniforms and caps on Green Day, and fans are encouraged to create a “green out” by sporting green, as well. First pitch is set for 7:05pm against the Hickory Crawdads. The first 2,000 fans through the stadium gates will receive a commemorative Green Day t-shirt, and the first 1,000 kids will receive a commemorative Green Day cape, all courtesy of TD Bank. Dr. Royster will be honored on the field just prior to the first pitch and again during the game. Following the game, the Drive invites fans to stick around for a spectacular birthday firework show in celebration of Greenville’s birthday.

To purchase tickets for Green Day on Wednesday, August 10th, go to the Main Street Box Office, call (864) 240-4528 or *[CLICK HERE](https://gd1.glitnirticketing.com/gdticket/web/stadiumgb_svg.php?status_id=2&event_id=98&tfl=Greenville_Drive_Single_Game_Tickets-tickets-na-single_game_tickets-x0-unknown-unknown&ga=2.182487334.1289177350.1658498356-458190560.1646148210&refresh=1658850205). *

Bear Necessities: HVR holding inaugural Teddy Bear Toss on 7/27

Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (July 22, 2022) –The Hudson Valley Renegades will be hosting a Teddy Bear Toss at Dutchess Stadium on Wednesday, July 27 immediately following that night’s game against the Brooklyn Cyclones. The event is part of the We Care Wednesday program, presented by Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth).

The Renegades encourage all fans to bring new teddy bears and stuffed animals to The Dutch for the game, but there will also be a limited number of teddy bears/plush dolls available for sale at the ballpark. Fans can purchase one doll for $3, or five dolls for $10. Proceeds from the sale will benefit WMCHealth’s Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services at MidHudson Regional Hospital. Fans purchasing teddy bears at the game will be given ticket vouchers for a future Renegades game.

Additionally, providers from WMCHealth’s Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services at MidHudson Regional Hospital will be offering a Teddy Bear Clinic for children who bring their favorite stuffed animal to the game or purchase a teddy bear at the ballpark.Stop by the WMCHealth table and say hello to the pediatrics team prior to Wednesday night’s game.

“Teddy Bear Tosses have been done in hockey for years, and we are so happy to be bringing one to The Dutch for the first time ever,” said Marcella Costello, Community Partnerships Manager of the Renegades. “A Teddy Bear Toss is a fun way for both the Renegades and our fans to make a meaningful difference in the life of children in our community.”

Following the game, fans are invited to throw their teddy bears on the field at The Dutch. The Bears will be collected by Renegades staff and donated to Cuddles from Cassidy, a Larchmont, New York-based non-profit organization whose mission is to provide comfort and joy to children battling life-threatening illnesses by providing cuddles (care packages with stuffed animals, toys, and tokes of love) to put smiles on their faces.

Additionally, the Renegades will be hosting a toy drive for Toys for Tots prior to their Christmas in July game on Tuesday, July 26. Toys will be collected at both the Season Ticket Member and Main Gates at Dutchess Stadium. Fans who bring a toy for donation will receive a ticket voucher for a future Renegades game.

Both Tuesday and Wednesday night’s games against the Brooklyn Cyclones are scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. at Dutchess Stadium. For tickets and more information, visit www.hvrenegades.com.

ABOUT THE HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES

The Renegades are in their second season as the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They have played their home games at Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. since 1994.

ABOUT DIAMOND BASEBALL HOLDINGS

Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) is a subsidiary of Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company. DBH was formed in 2021 to support, promote, and enhance Minor League Baseball through professional management, best practices, innovation and investment. (DiamondBaseballHoldings.com).

Fighting Hunger: Renegades hosting food drive this Sunday

Hudson Valley Renegades players dropped off donations at the Fishkill Food Pantry during HOPE Week in June. (Hudson Valley Renegades

Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (July 15, 2022) – The Hudson Valley Renegades, in partnership with the Fishkill Food Pantry and Fishkill Little League, will be hosting a food drive at Dutchess Stadium on Sunday, July 17. The drive will collect goods for the Fishkill Food Pantry as part of the “Fishkill Serves” initiative created between the Renegades, the Fishkill Food Pantry and Fishkill Little League.

“With food insecurity in Dutchess County being a growing issue, we are thrilled to be able to help the Fishkill Food Pantry and make a positive impact on our local community,” said Marcella Costello, Community Partnerships Manager for the Renegades.

Last month during HOPE Week, the Renegades donated approximately 100 pounds of needed goods to the Fishkill Food Pantry.

The Fishkill Food Pantry encourages fans to donate the following most urgently needed items:

  • Healthy cold cereals
  • Healthy snacks for kids
  • Toilet paper
  • Paper towels
  • Napkins
  • Toiletries (Deodorant, toothpaste/toothbrushes, bar soap, body soap)

Fans who bring these items will be entered into a raffle to win one of five autographed items. Fans will receive one (1) raffle ticket for each individual urgent item from the above list. The Renegades will raffle the items periodically from the middle to the end of the game. Fans MUST be present at Dutchess Stadium to win.

“We need your help more than ever,” said Kristen Cullen, Executive Director of Fishkill Food Pantry. “With increased prices comes more food insecurity. We have three or four new families seeking assistance each week!”

In addition to the aforementioned items, the Fishkill Food Pantry has provided a list of needed items, which can be found by clicking here. In compliance with the EAT SMART NEW YORK initiative, the food pantry no longer distributes soda, juice or candy to its clients, and pasta is not needed at this time.

The Fishkill Food Pantry is located at 1153 Main Street, Fishkill, New York, 12524. They are open from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 2:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Wednesday; and 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on the first and third Saturday of every month.

The Renegades host the Greenville Drive on Sunday with first pitch at 2:05 p.m. Gates open at 1 p.m. There will be tables set up to receive donations at both the season ticket members gate and the main gate at Dutchess Stadium.

ABOUT THE HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES

The Renegades are in their second season as the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They have played their home games at Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. since 1994.

ABOUT DIAMOND BASEBALL HOLDINGS

Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) is a subsidiary of Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company. DBH was formed in 2021 to support, promote, and enhance Minor League Baseball through professional management, best practices, innovation and investment. (DiamondBaseballHoldings.com).

Scout Day at the Drive

*Enjoy the Adventure, Achievement & Fun at Fluor Field on Sunday, July 24th! *

Special Scout Day programming includes:

  • Commemorative Scout Day at the Drive patch
  • Pre-game Parade of Champions around the warning track of Fluor Field
  • In-game Recognitions of Upstate Scouts and Scout Leaders
  • Opportunity to participate in between-inning games
  • Post-game Kids Run the Bases with Reedy Rip’It
  • PLUS, a post-game campout on the field!

All tickets are General Admission and will be located on the 1st base side of the stadium in sections 116-120 to accommodate group seating by troop/pack.

Tickets are $8 each for game + post-game campout on the field! To secure your ticket, click HERE.

Additional information will be sent out closer to the date surrounding the campout rules and procedures.

Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Night

Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Night at the Drive is an annual celebration of the exciting and innovative world of today’s manufacturing industry. It’s an opportunity for students to interact with current professionals, educators, and representatives from leading organizations throughout the Upstate, such as BMW, Greenville Technical College, Michelin, General Electric, Milliken, Greenville County Schools, and more to learn and grow their interest in this possible career path.

This year’s 7th annual AM&E Night at the Drive will, once again, feature in-person experiences at Fluor Field, as well as virtual experiences online for all students and educators that are unable to attend the event at Fluor Field.

For more information and to purchase your tickets, click HERE.