"Two Knuckle Challenge" returns for Prostate Cancer Awareness Night this Sunday

Pelicans, Hribar hope to raise $3,000 for local cancer patient; Hribar to take exam

By Mason Robinson

June 16, 2015

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (JUNE 16, 2015) - The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, are excited to announce their second annual "Two Knuckle Challenge" and first-ever "Poke-Him Run" for this year's Prostate Cancer Awareness Night. The event will take place at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark this coming Sunday on Father's Day, June 21. During the seventh inning stretch, Ronnie Hribar, owner of Longbeard's Bar & Grill on Carolina Forest Blvd. in Myrtle Beach, and this year's participant, will undergo the "Two Knuckle Challenge" made famous last year by Andy Milovich, Pelicans President and General Manager.

The event will continue a team tradition of cancer awareness as part of the franchise's Strikeout Cancer Series. Pelicans players will also wear their custom Strikeout Cancer jerseys for that night's game, which are available for bidding in an online auction all season long. Click here for more information about bidding on these unique custom jerseys.

The "Poke-Him Run" will be a motorcycle ride for fans to make a trip from Longbeard's Bar & Grill to TicketReturn.Com Field. Those interested in the Poke-Him Run can contact Longbeard's Bar & Grill at (843) 903-2905.

The June 21 promotion also features "bobblefingers," sponsored by ARS Rescue Rooter, which will be given out to the first 1,000 men through the gates who are 18 years-old and older. It serves as a Father's Day gift as well as a reminder about the importance of receiving a prostate examination. Hribar's goal is to raise $3,000 for a young local girl named Fallon Emery, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in December, 2013.

Last year's event featured Milovich singing the seventh inning stretch to a sold-out crowd at TicketReturn.Com Field while receiving a prostate exam from the press box. The event took place on July 24, 2014, during a game between the Pelicans and the Frederick Keys. Originally designed to promote prostate cancer awareness and health, a local morning talk show host asked Milovich if he would receive a prostate exam at the game. He then turned the idea into a benefit for Emery, 11, known as "Fierce Fallon" on her Facebook fan page, in her fight against brain cancer. Milovich vowed that if her page received more than 10,000 "likes," he would commit to the promotion and sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" while receiving the exam. Fallon's page received well over 10,000 likes in the days before the July 24 deadline, and Milovich was proud to participate.

"If 'taking one for the team' keeps one child from growing up fatherless, then it will be worth it," Milovich said last year.

The effort was multifaceted: the team's goal was to exemplify not only the importance for men to receive prostate exams, but that it's not something so daunting that it should be avoided. The promotion garnered national attention, from other minor league baseball and hockey teams emulating the event, to mentions on ESPN.com, as well as The Today Show, which featured a morning segment on the nationally broadcast show. CNN praised Milovich for staying true to his word and benefitting a charitable cause.

"I had a college friend tell me that what I did inspired him to get his first exam," Milovich said to Darren Rovell, ESPN.com Sports Business reporter. "Hopefully this saves some lives."

Jen Borowski, Pelicans Senior Director of Community Development, knows that the willingness for men to get checked is an important step.

"If it can save the life of one dad, then it's all worth it," Borowski said.

The 2015 season marks the 17th season for the Pelicans franchise and first as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the June 21 Father's Day game, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.