Legends Win ‘We Care’ Award

The Lexington Legends have won a 2010 Republic Bank We CARE Award for outstanding community service.
The We CARE (Community Activity Recognition Enterprise) awards give recognition and appreciation to local companies whose employees are actively involved in a variety of community service activities. The program was launched in 2006, and the Legends have been nominated for awards in each of the last three years.

Winners were announced Thursday night in a ceremony at the Griffin Gate Marriott. WLEX-TV news anchor Kevin Christopher served as master of ceremonies.

More than 50 nominations from organizations in seven categories met the We CARE criteria and were accepted for the awards competition. Organizations were judged on how they encourage employees to become involved in volunteer activities either during or after business hours. They were also evaluated on how they support community-based initiatives through philanthropic efforts and neighborhood assistance. Winners were selected by an independent panel of judges consisting of previous winners and community leaders.

The Legends, a class A minor league baseball affiliate of the Houston Astros, won in the category of entertainment and leisure. The Legends have provided in-kind donations of tickets, memorabilia and suites to more than 250 non-profit organizations in 2010. Legends employees participate in many fund-raising events, including the Polar Bear Plunge, Bowl for Kids Sake, the Diabetes Walk and others. Employees also participate in Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Junior Achievement.

“There are certain prestigious ‘touch points’ in a community,” said Legends President and CEO Alan Stein. “For a company like the Lexington Legends, whose own mission statement emphasizes quality of life and making our communities better, the Republic Bank We Care Award is a very important acknowledgment that we’re on the right track. It is a tremendous honor for our entire staff, and I particularly salute our General Manager, Andy Shea, for his continued leadership and commitment to community service, and our Director of Community Relations, Stephanie Fish, for her tireless efforts in this arena.”

“The Republic Bank We CARE Awards have again brought to light the quality and variety of volunteer work done by so many companies in our community,” said Bo Henry, Market President of Republic Bank.

“All of us at Republic Bank recognize the employees of the nominated companies, and the winning companies, for the community efforts they put forth that contribute so much to making this such a great place to live and raise our families,” stated Steve Trager, Chairman and CEO of Republic Bank.

“I’m so proud of the way employees of Lexington area companies reach out into our neighborhoods and communities every day,” added WLEX-TV general manager Pat Dalbey. “There’s an obvious growing culture of caring that the Republic Bank We CARE Award is nurturing. I’m particularly impressed with the quality of the employee volunteer efforts made by this year’s winning companies. Central Kentucky is indeed a warm, friendly, giving community and WLEX-TV is proud to be part of recognizing the wonderful spirit of giving represented by these awards.”

Winning companies received a handmade glass sculpture award designed by Ken von Roenn of Kentucky’s Architectural Glass Art, and WLEX-TV will produce and broadcast video vignettes highlighting each winning company.

(Left to Right) Bo Henry, Market President of Republic Bank with Legends Staff, Justin Ball, Stephanie Fish, Seth Poteat, Ty Cobb.

Gwinnett Braves Announce Grant Program

The Gwinnett Braves Division of the Atlanta Braves Foundation will begin awarding monthly grants to local non-profits in August. The winner of each month will receive a $1,000 grant, 50 tickets to a Gwinnett Braves game, a concourse table at a Gwinnett Braves game and a check presentation. Each non-profit that submits an application will receive 20 tickets to a Gwinnett Braves game.

“We are pleased to present the Gwinnett Braves Grant Program to the community as it is a multi-faceted program that gives all organizations an opportunity to apply and win one of our monthly grants,” said Gwinnett Braves GM North Johnson. “Gwinnett and our surrounding counties have been extremely good to our organization and we are excited to give back to this wonderful community. I look forward to reviewing the applications and awarding our first winner in August.”

Each month features a different theme and organizations may apply for more than one month and area of giving. Below is a list of the monthly themes:

January: I Have a Dream – Organizations that grant wishes, dreams and opportunities for the youth, elderly, injured or sick.
February: Heart Month – Organizations that bring awareness and/or raise funds for heart related diseases and illnesses or that promotes a healthy diet and fitness programs for children.
March: Salute to the Arts – Organizations that support art programs or education.
April: Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Organizations that promote youth athletics or activities.
May: Cancer Awareness – Organizations that bring awareness to cancer prevention/detection or that raise funds for cancer research.
June: Summer Safety – Organizations that fund or run safety programs for children.
July: Red, White and Blue – Organizations that support the military or military families.
August: Back to School – Organizations that support education or after school/mentoring programs.
September: All About Kids – Organizations that benefit children.
October: Four Legged Friends – Organizations that benefit animals.
November: Thanksgiving – Organizations that work to end hunger and/or homelessness, that support children and families that are homeless or that run and maintain a food bank.
December: Season of Giving – Any organization that benefits youth, education or sports programming may apply.

Non-profits that wish to apply can download the Gwinnett Braves Grant Application at gwinnettbraves.com.

The Gwinnett Braves operate under the Atlanta Braves Foundation and specifically focus on those organizations in Gwinnett and its surrounding counties. Through the foundation, the team is dedicated to providing social, educational and scholarship opportunities for the youth in our surrounding communities in connection with the activities of the Gwinnett Braves baseball club. Gwinnett Daily Post Editor, Todd Cline, and Gwinnett Braves front office members North Johnson and Courtney Lawson, General Manager and Community and Public Affairs Manager, respectively, make up the grant selection board.

CPR “Certified” Fun at The Diamond!

On Saturday, May 29, the Richmond Flying Squirrels teamed up with the Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross for CPR Grand Slam!  Residents in the Greater Richmond area took an online class and then finished their CPR certification training in the outfield at The Diamond! Participants were greeted by Nutzy as they checked in, then taken down on to the field to finish training.  Once the course was completed, the newly certified patrons earned a ticket to that night’s Squirrels game and were recognized for attending the life saving training! The youngest participant certified was 13 years old–he tossed out the ceremonial first pitch!

Red Cross CPR training on the outfield
Nutzy and our first pitch winner after completing CPR training at only 13!

Lookouts, SunTrust and Fans Team Up to Benefit Food Bank

The Lookouts have partnered with SunTrust Bank to introduce “SunTrust Sundays” to benefit the Chattanooga Area Food Bank at AT&T Field this season.

For every Sunday game this season, with the exception of July 4th, fans are encouraged to bring canned food items to AT&T Field to put in the bed of the Lookout’s Dodger Blue antique truck parked outside the stadium. On SunTrust Sundays, each fan that donates food items will receive a free general admission ticket for that Sunday’s game. Tickets will be distributed on a “per person” basis and are subject to availability. The canned food items will be donated to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.

“We are excited to partner with SunTrust to help the Chattanooga Food Bank, and utilize this opportunity to help our community, too.” said Lookouts Owner/President/General Manager Frank Burke.

“SunTrust Bank is looking forward hosting SunTrust Sundays and helping strike out hunger,” said Alexandra Santiago, Director of Sales and Marketing at SunTrust. “SunTrust Sundays is a solid partnership that enables us to encourage Lookouts Fans to help the Chattanooga Area Food Bank while enjoying a ballgame at AT&T Field.”

The Chattanooga Food Bank, whose mission is to feed the hungry by linking America’s food bounty with those in need, distributed nearly 8.8 million pounds of food to more than 125,000 families in need last year.

“The Food Bank is excited that Lookouts fans are joining our mission to feed the hungry. Food donated at Lookouts games will help replenish our Emergency Food Box pantry,” said Gary Paul, Development Director of the Chattanooga Area Food. “During the past two years, we have seen a big increase in demand for food assistance. Last year we gave out 17,000 food boxes to families in our community, twelve percent more than the year before. I cannot think of a better way to fight hunger: help your neighbors and see a great game!”

‘Birds Unveil 2010 Hit the Books Program

The Delmarva Shorebirds have teamed up with Sylvan Learning Center and Farmers Bank of Willards to kick off the 2010 “Hit the Books” Reading Program. The “Hit the Books” Reading program is designed to promote reading outside the classroom. Participating students are asked to read four books of their choice and track their progress on the official “Hit the Books” bookmark given to all students. Each book completed gets them to the next base and when they hit their homerun they are rewarded with two complimentary tickets to a Shorebirds game and the chance to set foot on the field and represent their school in a pre-game parade with Sherman.

“We’re proud to participate in this year’s reading program. Sylvan and “Hit the Books” are a good match because we have a common goal- to reach as many students as possible across the Eastern Shore and get them excited about reading. We look forward to recognizing their hard work and achievement at the Perdue Stadium this spring, and we hope the Delmarva community will join us in honoring these great readers as well,” said Becky Grinath, Director, Sylvan Learning Center.

Chris Davis, President of Farmers Bank of Willards also stated, “Hit the Books is a great program, and we are proud to be a sponsor in 2010. This program gives us the opportunity to give back and thank the community for its overwhelming support of the Farmers Bank of Willards. It’s the perfect partnership for a community bank that’s celebrating its 85 years in business and our local students who are the future leaders for our community.”

This season, the “Hit the Books” program will reach more than 45,000 students from 121 schools across the Eastern Shore. To accommodate the growing number of students who complete the program each year, the Shorebirds have added two additional dates, raising the total from six in 2009 to eight in 2010.

“As an organization, we take a lot of pride in our “Hit the Books” program. It is an excellent community outreach program and it is wonderful that we have the opportunity to get such a large number of young students involved in this educational program,” General Manager, Chris Bitters stated. “We are very much looking forward to rewarding all the fine young men and women that completes the program this season with an exciting evening at the ballpark!”

BANDITS GIVE BACK IN A BIG WAY THIS YEAR

For the Quad Cities River Bandits, the baseball season starts in April and winds down in September. The season of giving, however, lasts all year long.

As 2010 looms just a calendar-flip away, the River Bandits are proud to reflect on a year in which the team was directly responsible for putting $145,470 into the Quad Cities community in 2009. From donated goods and tickets to fundraising efforts and charitable partnerships, the team was able to help a variety of groups and causes throughout the year. The River Bandits also created the Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will give away a scholarship covering the entire first year’s tuition at the University of Iowa for one lucky resident of the Quad City Area, and were heavily involved in community activities, donating hundreds of hours of labor into the Quad Cities in addition to having a significant monetary impact.

“We strive to be an integral part of the Quad Cities, and part of that means giving back to our friends, fans and neighbors,” said owner Dave Heller. “The River Bandits want to do our part to enhance the quality of life in the Quad Cities and make it an even better place to live, work and raise a family. This community has been so supportive of us; we want to be generous in our support of it. That means donating our money, donating our time, donating items to help others raise money, raising money ourselves for area charities, and partnering with great companies like Modern Woodmen of America and Genesis Health System to make a real difference in the lives of Quad Cities families.”

The River Bandits proactive philosophy of investing in the Quad Cities is what led to the six-figure impact in the community. The River Bandits Book Buddies program included nearly 60 schools and 14,000 students in its eighth year, encouraging youth reading and donating $56,825 worth of tickets to area youngsters. Merchandise, tickets and other items contributed to a total value of $38,917 that was handed out in response to widespread donation requests. Another $37,590 was paid out to various non-profit and community groups that worked in the ballpark to raise funds or participated in the FUNdraising ticket-selling program, while $7,070 was raised through in-game contests and fan-generated donations.

A pair of jersey auctions over the course of the 2009 season raised $2,346 for the Vera French Foundation and another $1,445 for Genesis Health System’s Flu Free Quad Cities program. The frequent post-game Tennis Ball Toss brought in $5,068 that was split among 16 different charities over the course of the season.

Monetary donations and fundraising were just the tip of the iceberg. In June, the River Bandits announced the formation of the Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship that serves the dual purpose of honoring a former employee and paying for a full year of tuition to an incoming freshman at the University of Iowa. Modern Woodmen Park also played host to the Challenger Little League for their tournament in early September, a truly inspirational event that has become an annual fixture.

Between Rascal the River Bandit, Bandits’ staff members and team players, more than 120 hours were spent in the community visiting schools, libraries and community centers. Members of the front office staff are heavily involved in the community, participating in programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters Lunch Buddies, Junior Achievement, Pups Assisting with the Disabled, World Relief and Achieve Quad Cities. Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman sits on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley and Assistant General Manager Stefanie Brown is a member of the board for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The growing River Bandits Speakers Bureau is designed to provide speakers at no cost to community groups, schools, businesses and other groups throughout the Quad Cities, in part to help educate youth on potential careers in the sports industry.

“One of our goals as an organization is to be as visible as possible in our community,” said Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman. “Our front office staff is made up of great people that want to make a difference and have the ambition to act on that impulse. Every dollar we raise stays right here in our community, which is a promise our ownership made to the Quad Cities from the very start. We also have a full-time position dedicated to represent the River Bandits in relationships with local charitable organizations. Community involvement is something we take great pride in, and at the end of the day it is very satisfying to reflect on the positive impact the River Bandits make throughout the Quad Cities.”

Blue Rocks Donate Nearly Half a Million for Local Causes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Royals, Team’s Advertisers and Fans Aid Several Worthy Causes

The Omaha Royals increased their giving to local charities, community organizations and schools during the team’s 2009 season. The Royals, with the help of several of the team’s advertisers and its fans, donated more than $861,000 this season, mostly in the form of tickets and cash. That figure was up almost $40,000 from 2008.

“We continually talk about being engaged in the metro community and 2009 was again proof of our mission,” said Martie Cordaro, Royals Vice President/General Manager. “We are excited about what we have planned for 2010 and hope that new sponsors will join us so we can even further impact the community.”

Two season-long promotions generated over $11,000 in cash for two charities. The “Hurl the Pearl” promotion, presented by Nissan of Omaha and McDonald’s, raised almost $8,200 for the Ronald McDonald House. Werner Enterprises donated $2,870 to PlaySmart through its RBI promotion, in which the Royals’ 2009 presenting sponsor pledged $10 for each Royals RBI at home.

Once again in 2009, the Royals held silent auctions of various specially-designed jerseys and caps – autographed by the players who wore them –  during several home games. On June 6, an auction of baby blue jerseys and caps raised $2,155 for the Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Program. The Royals wore red caps on June 27, with that auction and a $1 donation for every red item sold at the Royal Treasures Gift Shop netting $1,114 for the ALS Association. The fourth annual Strike Out Breast Cancer Night on August 7 featured an auction of pink jerseys and the sale of pink hats, providing $3,479 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. An auction of Royals black hats on August 28 raised almost $1,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, while a September 3 auction of baseball memorabilia generated over $1,400 toward the team’s $11,000 goal to support the AllPlay Foundation in 2010.

In 2009 the Royals donated thousands of tickets to their home games, with most of them being earned by school children through good work in the classroom. Almost 24,000 students from 74 area schools were encouraged to read books in exchange for tickets to Royals games in the Hit the Books program, which was presented by the Nebraska College Savings Program. Nearly 11,000 students from 70 area schools received tickets to the team’s April 20 game for the 10th annual Cox Communications Home Run for Youth Day. The Royals donated 25,000 Reserved Seat tickets for their August 8 game to the Omaha Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.  10,000 General Admission tickets went to the United Way for that organization to use as a “thank you” gift for their donors.  Also, businesses and season ticket holders donated over 2,800 Royals tickets to Baseball Buddies, with those tickets going to kids who normally wouldn’t be able to attend a game.

The team’s Community Organization of the Night program continued to grow in 2009. Partnering with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the Royals provided over $53,000 worth of advertising, booth space and tickets to 72 non-profit groups and gave them a forum on-field and on the team’s game broadcasts to talk about those organizations’ work in the community.

Royals fans brought more than 2,200 cans and boxes of Our Family Brand food to Sunday home games, with all of it going to the Open Door Mission. In exchange, those fans received more than $15,000 worth of tickets.

The Royals staff, players and mascots were also busy away from the ballpark, with the staff giving more than 400 hours and the players and mascots chipping in over 200 hours to community service and appearances. On June 11 alone, Royals staff members committed more than 50 hours of community service, in honor of the team reaching the 11-million fan milestone earlier in the season. On August 22, a dozen staff members, family, partners from Lovgren Marketing Group and Casey took part in an ALS Walk at Elmwood Park, raising $4,500 in pledges. The team held its annual golf tournament on August 31 at Pacific Springs, raising more than $2,500 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in honor of Royals manager Mike Jirschele’s family.

Monsters/Local Patrons “Share The Experience”

For the last three months, the Vermont Lake Monsters have reached out to their community partners inviting donations that have, in turn, brought thousands of children to historic Centennial Field to enjoy a Lake Monsters game and the family fun environment.

The “Share the Experience” program represents yet another way the Lake Monsters strive to place a focus on the Burlington community, as well the State of Vermont. Joining the “Hit the Books,” “Outstanding Students,” and countless other programs, this collaborative effort can be a powerful step in touching lives throughout the area.

Thus far in 2009, the LakeMonsters have allocated over $6,000 in donated tickets to various youth groups throughout the state and have hosted over 1,200 children at Centennial Field.

“Thank you so much for this opportunity,” activities coordinator for Essex CHIPS and TeenCenter, Diana Neidecker, said. “Our kids had a great time!”

Lake Monster’s director of community relations and promotions, Denny Madigan, added: “It’s great that a professional sports organization can do so much for the community, especially helping out kids who may not have ever had an opportunity to enjoy the LakeMonsters experience.”

Students get math lesson at ball park

Tuesday was a picture perfect day for a baseball game. The stands at Victory Field were nearly full for a rare 11 a.m. game. That’s because an estimated 13,000 students from across the state were invited to share in the fun.

St. Joan of Arc advanced math students scored a homerun getting to come to Victory Field but, they couldn’t just kick back, they had to compute.

“We have to write down their name and write what they do, like, if they get on base or if they get an out,” said seventh grader, Shani Ayers.

Brent Kahl is a St. Joan of Arc volunteer. He comes every other week to help students with advanced math activities. He’s been using an online curriculum designed by the Indianapolis Indians. The program is called, “Baseball in Education.”

“It’s a great way, I think, to put math in a real world setting and get a lot of fun out of it too,” said Kahl.

Indians Director of Marketing and Communications Chris Herndon said, “We make sure it meets the Indiana standards. There’s math activities and science activities — all that pertain to baseball.”

The Indians have partnered with the Indianapolis Public School District. The team donates thousands of tickets to the students each year. IUPUI is also a partner and underwrites tickets for students across the state.

But the most important numbers Tuesday: Indians 5, Syracuse 4.

Click on the play button to watch the report that aired on the local TV station:

This story by Leslie Olsen and the accompanying video first appeared on www.wishtv.com (Channel 8 CBS affiliate in Indianapolis, IN).  Click here for the original story