1969 Replica Jerseys Auctioned for Little Sioux

OMAHA, NE - The Omaha Royals will hold a special jersey auction this Sunday, June 29th, to help with the rebuilding of the Little Sioux Scout Ranch devastated by a deadly tornado earlier this month. This Sunday's 1:35 p.m. game between the Royals and Oklahoma RedHawks at Rosenblatt Stadium will be the 40th scheduled Royals home game in 2008 - the team's 40th season.

For Sunday's game, Royals players will wear replica jerseys like those worn in 1969, the Triple-A team's inaugural campaign. Each jersey will feature a Boy Scouts tribute patch on its sleeve and will be autographed by the Royals player who wore it. Fans will be able to bid on the game-worn jerseys starting when stadium gates open at 12:30 p.m. and concluding five minutes after the end of the game.

One hundred percent of the funds raised by the auction will go to the Little Sioux Rebuilding Relief Fund. The Royals will present the auction proceeds to the Boys Scouts of America Mid-America Council in an on-field presentation on Saturday, July 19th, when the eighth annual Boy Scout Sleepover will be held in the Rosenblatt Stadium outfield following that night's Royals game.

This Sunday, the four Boy Scouts who lost their lives in the June 11th tragedy will be remembered with a moment of silence shortly before the game's first pitch. The tornado claimed the lives of three Omaha scouts - Josh Fennen, Ben Petrzilka and Sam Thomsen - and the life of Aaron Eilerts of Eagle Grove, Iowa.

"Our Scouting family lost four exceptional young men," said Lloyd Roitstein, president of the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts. "Words cannot express the profound grief we feel for the families of Josh, Sam, Ben and Aaron. We will never forget them, nor will we forget the courage and bravery all the Pahuk Scouts and leaders displayed when times were at their worst - they are all heroes. Our community has also stepped up to the plate and supported the Scouts. Thank you to everyone for your support."

"We've had a wonderful relationship with the Boy Scouts of America for many years," said Eric Leach, Royals Assistant General Manager/Ticket Operations. "Of course our thoughts and prayers are with the Boy Scouts at this time, but we also wanted to do something tangible to help with the rebuilding project at Little Sioux."

For tickets, call the Royals ticket office at (402) 738-5100, or order and print tickets online at www.oroyals.com and at www.Etix.com. For details on the group ticket rate, call (402) 738-5105.