World Series Trophy Tour To Stop At Chukchansi Park
This will be the second public trophy tour held in the past three years and will feature both the 2012 and 2010 trophies. The focus of the San Francisco World Championship Trophy Tour presented by Bank of America is to share Major League Baseball's Commissioner's trophy, crafted by Tiffany & Co., with Giants fans in Junior Giants communities throughout northern California.
Junior Giants is the flagship program of the Giants Community Fund, which serves more than 20,000 boys and girls in 80 underserved communities throughout northern and central California and southern Oregon. It is a free and non-competitive baseball program that has served as a model for MLB youth initiatives. Using baseball as the hook, Junior Giants provides opportunities for children to demonstrate confidence and leadership, to link with adult mentors and to develop a strong understanding of the importance of literacy and healthy living.
"It was really important to our organization to create a trophy tour which allowed us to connect with our fans and the more than 20,000 kids who participate in our Junior Giants baseball program," said Larry Baer, Giants president and chief operating officer.
The viewing of the trophy at Chukchansi Park will take place from 4-6 pm for VIPs, Fresno Grizzlies season ticket holders and reserved guests to the 52nd Anniversary Hot Stove Gala, which is held on February 7th. From 6-8 pm, the general public is able to view and take a photo with the trophies on a first-come, first-served basis. Fans can upgrade to a spot in the VIP time frame by purchasing Hot Stove Gala tickets or becoming a Fresno Grizzlies season ticket holder.
The viewings are free to the public with a suggested donation of $2 per person to the Junior Giants programs with the City of Fresno and Boys & Girls Club. Fans will have the opportunity to have a professional photo taken, by PrintRoom, and can purchase those photos on-line and, in some cases, on site. The trophies will be transported in a 2013 Sequoia Limited courtesy of Toyota. The public will enter through the VIP entrance to the left of the Chukchansi Park Box Office off of H Street.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County have been providing youth development services for youth ages 6-18 in Fresno County for more than sixty years. The organization has expanded to 17 Clubs across Fresno County and Madera and serves over 6,500 youth members every year, open every day after school. Their mission is to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens and motto is "Great Futures Start Here."
The Junior Giants of Fresno were established in 2005. In 2012, the league had nearly 500 participants, with nearly 400 athletes in the Tee Ball League and around 100 participants combined in the Minor and Major leagues.