RubberDucks to be Honored at Pillar Awards

(AKRON, OHIO) December 9, 2021 – Tonight the Akron RubberDucks will be honored at the 2021 Medical Mutual Pillar Awards for Community Service. The Pillar Awards for Community Service honors businesses of all types and sizes that make outstanding contributions to the Northeast Ohio communities. Its purpose is to encourage a charitable environment, recognize creative efforts that make a difference and demonstrate the ties between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds.

The 2021 Medical Mutual Pillar Awards for Community Service take place Dec. 9 at The Westin Cleveland Downtown.

The Akron RubberDucks have been active in the Greater Akron community in raising funds and awareness via a myriad of community-driven programs. Over the past nine years, the RubberDucks have partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Summit County for the 50/50 raffle at Canal Park. Through this partnership, the RubberDucks have raised over $160,000; including $24,000 this year for Habitat for Humanity of Summit County. The RubberDucks have also partnered with Circle K to raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club of the Western Reserve. For every home run hit by the RubberDucks at Canal Park, Circle K donated $100 to the Boys and Girls Club of the Western Reserve. During this season, the RubberDucks’ bats raised $18,450. Every year since 1997, the Akron RubberDucks have partnered with our next-door neighbor, Akron Children’s Hospital, to provide an unforgettable night for children suffering from cancer and rare blood disorders. The Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Pediatric Blood Disorders Celebration Night has been a staple on the RubberDucks promotional calendar for the past quarter of a century where pediatric patients, former patients and their families are honored during the game and one lucky youngster’s design is chosen for the jerseys the players wear on the field that night.

The RubberDucks commitment to charity extends outside the game days at Canal Park as well. The RubberDucks front office staff takes part in an in-house year-round volunteer program called Helping Hands in which members of the front office staff volunteer at least once a month at various non-profit organizations throughout the Akron area. This year the RubberDucks have volunteered with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Habitat for Humanity, the Ben Curtis Foundation, the Salvation Army, One of a Kind Pets, Haven of Rest Ministries and many other local non-profit organizations. Through these Helping Hands events, the Akron RubberDucks front office staff have helped nearly 7,000 people in just the past calendar year.

“It is an honor to be recognized as a Pillar Award recipient with all the other incredible community partners who will be recognized tonight in Northeast Ohio,” said RubberDucks General Manager and COO Jim Pfander. “We view ourselves as part of the fabric of the Greater Akron community and everyday try to make a meaningful impact in our community to improve the lives of all who call Northeast Ohio home.”

Additionally, the RubberDucks partner with many non-profit organizations through the Charity Begins at Home program. This program allows the RubberDucks to offer non-profit organizations multiple ways to get exposure and fundraise while at Canal Park. The RubberDucks offer discounted tickets to these groups and allow them to re-sell at face value, keeping the variances as a fundraiser. These non-profit groups also are that night’s diamond ball sponsor, which allows the non-profit group to raise more money. Finally, the non-profit group receives top billing sponsorship during the game with live public address announcements, logo placement on the video board, and a table display on the concourse to direct market to all fans in attendance at the game.

The Akron RubberDucks are the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The RubberDucks season is powered by FirstEnergy at Canal Park, beginning at home April 12, 2022, against the Reading Fightin Phils at 7:05 PM. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 330-253-5151 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, or visit akronrubberducks.com/. For more information about the team, please call 330-253-5151, visit the website at akronrubberducks.com, Facebook page facebook.com/AkronRubberDucks, or on Twitter @AkronRubberDuck, and Instagram @akronrubberducks.