What If Wednesdays will encompass a few select Wednesdays during the upcoming season.  With the lead in "What If..." these themes would follow:  HD Didn't Exist? (April 11) Kids Ran the Show? (April 25), We Were the Lake Monsters? (May 30) and Mascots Were Movie Stars? (June 20). 

It all starts on April 11, when "What If HD Didn't Exist?" will take us all the way back to the early to mid-2000s when High Definition hadn't yet redefined the way we watch television, movies, and videos.  It seems so long ago doesn't it?  The Curve will celebrate by giving away several Standard Definition televisions to "lucky" fans during the course of the 6:30 game against Akron.  The Curve are also working on ways to make things less defined for fans attending this contest.

"What If Kids Ran the Show?" will operate exactly how it sounds as children will take over some of the key duties to putting on a game in Curve, Pa for the game on April 25.  From handing out programs and hosting our on field contests to hopping on the radio broadcast and taking over the PA announcing, select children will have a unique opportunity to take part in making the evening a fun one in Curve, Pa. 

"What If We Were the Lake Monsters" night on May 30 will be a special event as the team will don one of the names that could have been had "Curve" not been selected as the franchise's moniker.   The club will wear special Lake Monsters' jerseys for this night only and they will be up for auction during the game.  The game jerseys will feature the exact Lake Monsters' logo that was drawn up for the Name the Team contest back in 1998.

"What If Mascots Were Movie Stars" will be featured on June 20 as the Curve once again insert mascots into popular film throughout the game.  This year's film spoofs will incorporate all four of the main mascots in Curve, Pa. as well as some of the new fan favorites including the Kunzler Frank and the Moose, who have appeared with more regularity in recent years.

"We'll be having fun with our new 'What If' theme night series," said Curve General Manager Rob Egan.  "Heck, who doesn't want an 800-pound Standard Definition television or an Altoona Lake Monsters' game-worn jersey?  For those that saw Mascot Movie Night last year, I'm sure they are really looking forward to what our promotional team comes up with this season with regard to our mascots being movie stars."

A second Jersey-off-the-Back auction will take place at the ballpark on July 22 as Altoona will wear Captain America-inspired jerseys thanks to the folks at Reliable Towing Tire and Auto Center.  With the popularity of last summer's remake and this summer's release of The Avengers, it was a no-brainer for the Curve to go patriotic.  Plus, it's an election year!  Proceeds from the jersey auction will benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which received over $6,000 from last year's NASCAR-night Jersey Auction. 

Also new to the community calendar in 2012 are three events that will occur at the ballpark to help benefit three different charitable organizations.  A Blood Drive to benefit the Red Cross will take place in the home clubhouse on May 17 from 1 p.m.-7 p.m. and each fan that donates blood will receive a two vouchers for the Thursday, May 31 game.

The Curve will host the area's first Touch-A-Truck event in the parking lot of Peoples Natural Gas Field prior to the game on June 23 with proceeds benefitting The Nehemiah Project.  Touch-A-Truck will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will allow children to climb in the trucks they so often play with as toys like bulldozers, fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, dump trucks, limousines and more.  Admission for the event will be a $5 donation (Kids 2 & under are free) to the Nehemiah Project. 

If you're looking for a place to sell some things just lying around the house or that are taking up space in the garage, bring them down to the Yard Sale that will take place in the Peoples Natural Gas Field parking lot prior to the game on July 21.  The Yard Sale will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and you can set up a space to sell whatever you like for a small $20 donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Tables and extra spaces will be available as well for an additional donation.  Best of all, you keep all profits from whatever you sell. 

Already introduced for the 2012 season are Curve, Pa. Blue Out Saturdays, which take place during every Saturday home game in Curve, Pa.  The Curve will wear specially designed blue jerseys for every Saturday home game that will be auctioned off after the final Saturday home contest on August 25.

The club, along with six others in the state of Pennsylvania, has teamed up with Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania (PCA PA) for the 2012 season and will donate all proceeds from the jersey auction, along with sales of special "Blue Out" t-shirts that will be for sale, to the PCA PA.  A portion of the proceeds from cotton candy sales as well as online ticket sales for the Saturday games will also be directed to PCA PA. 

Not forgotten for 2012, Community Collection Days will take place once again at the ballpark and will coincide with select Sunday games.  The dates for this year's Community Collection Days are April 22 (Computer Recycling for Skills of Central, PA., Inc.), May 20 (Pet Food for Central PA Humane Society), June 3 (USMC Toys for Tots Day) and August 26 (Food Drive for St. Vincent De Paul Society Soup Kitchen).

"Elsie Gibney and our staff have come up with some new and unique ways to help the Curve and their fans give back to the community," said Egan.  "Our fans have routinely shown their generosity over the years in helping worthy charitable causes.  That tradition will be continued and strengthened this coming season." 

A complete listing of community and theme nights at the ballpark can be found by clicking here

This release is the third of four this week as the Curve introduce their entire promotional lineup for 2012.  The release order and topic for the rest of the week is as follows:

Today:  Theme Nights & Community Events
Thursday, March 8:  Entertainment Acts & Celebrity Appearances

The week-long series of events will conclude on Friday, March 9th as the Curve host Baseball Bash IV at Peoples Natural Gas Field from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the ticket plaza and the weather-protected, upper concourse.  Single-game tickets for the upcoming season will be on sale beginning at Baseball Bash while the event itself will be followed by a fireworks show that will begin shortly after 8 p.m. 

This year's Bash also features the newly added Curve Variety Show, which will give the winning act a Curve Prize Pack consisting of 2 GA Season Tickets, a chance to perform the act on the field before a game this season and vouchers for one small Pepsi and a Curve Burger for each of the Curve's 71 home games this season.

Acts that wish to participate in the variety show must register their act by 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 8 with the Curve's Community Relations Director, Elsie Gibney.   She can be reached by phone at 814.283.3130 or by e-mail at egibney@altoonacurve.com prior to the registration deadline.  Acts that wish to participate must submit all member names along with an explanation of the act they are planning on performing during the Variety Show.

For more information on Baseball Bash IV and upcoming Curve games and events, call 877.99.CURVE, visit www.AltoonaCurve.com or stop by the offices at Peoples Natural Gas Field during normal business hours. 

-CURVE-