Thunder aim to aid Sandy victims

TRENTON, N.J. -- The Trenton Thunder Minor League Baseball team is asking fans to support a supplies drive to aid the community of its sister team, the Lakewood BlueClaws, which was severely impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy.

"This disaster has affected the entire region and so many people are still dealing with tremendous hardship -- including the staff and fans of our sister team, the Lakewood BlueClaws," said Thunder general manager, Will Smith. "The outpouring of support has been unbelievable but there is still a huge need for supplies and a lot of work to be done."

The drive will run until Friday, Nov. 16, with donations accepted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and until 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Fans are encouraged to bring the following items to Waterfront Park:

* Coats
* Non-perishable food items
* Toiletries
* Batteries
* Candles
* Portable radios
* Pillows
* Dog food and cat food
* Tarps
* New underwear/bras
* Socks
* Rubbermaid type bins
* Towels
* Paper towels
* Cleaning products
* Baby wipes
* Children's games

Please note that other than winter coats, most other clothing items are not being requested at this time.

In addition to the Thunder and BlueClaws, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and the Reading Phillies are also asking those in their local communities to assist the relief efforts. Staff members from all of the clubs will be distributing the items during volunteer efforts in the greater Lakewood community throughout November.

The Thunder and BlueClaws (Class A, Phillies) share ownership and are considered "sister" teams. The two are the only two affiliated Minor League Baseball teams in New Jersey. Lehigh Valley (Triple-A) and Reading (Double-A) are both Philadelphia Phillies affiliates.

For more information, please contact the Thunder at 609-394-3300.

The Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, are located in Trenton, N.J., and play in the 12 team Eastern League. The Thunder have drawn more than 7.7 million fans in 19 years, and have won the three major awards that Minor League Baseball teams can win: the Johnson Trophy for the "Nation's Best Franchise" (2005), the Larry MacPhail Trophy for Outstanding Club Promotion (2003) and the Bob Frietas Award for Long-Term Success (1998, given byBaseball America). The team has given back more than $4.7 million worth of goods, services and monetary donations through Trenton Thunder Charities, under the Grand Slam We Care Foundation umbrella. The Thunder can be found online at trentonthunder.com, at facebook.com/trentonthunder, and at twitter.com/trentonthunder and on youtube.com by searching "AATrentonThunder."