Four South Carolina MiLB Teams Unite to Support Flood Victims
FOUR SOUTH CAROLINA MiLB TEAMS UNITE TO SUPPORT FLOOD VICTIMS
CHARLESTON, COLUMBIA, GREENVILLE AND MYRTLE BEACH CREATE JOINT GOFUNDME PAGE
COLUMBIA, S.C. (OCTOBER 6, 2015) - In the wake of the devastating rains and historic flooding that have hit South Carolina over the past week, the four Minor League Baseball teams in the state are coming together to support and raise money for the flood victims in the state. The Charleston RiverDogs, Columbia Fireflies, Greenville Drive, and Myrtle Beach Pelicans announced today that they have created a joint GoFundMe page, raising funds for the American Red Cross of the Palmetto SC Region.
The four-team statewide alliance will work together to maximize fundraising efforts across the state, utilizing the hashtag: #PalmettoStrong.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley issued a State of Emergency on Thursday. President Barack Obama signed a statewide emergency declaration on Saturday, retroactive to Thursday, authorizing federal aid in anticipation of more rain. As of Tuesday morning, 11 deaths had been reported in the state due to the weather. Some parts of the state have received over two feet of rainfall, and hundreds of miles of roads have been closed in the state.
"South Carolinians are strong and resilient, and we will come together to support each other in this time of incredible need," said RiverDogs EVP / General Manager Dave Echols, Fireflies President John Katz, Drive General Manager Eric Jarinko and Pelicans President / GM Andy Milovich in a joint statement. "The unity within our respective cities and across our great state will shine as a beacon of hope amidst the tragic events of this past weekend, restoring hope to our communities."
Each of the four clubs and Minor League Baseball Charities will be contributing $2,500 to the relief efforts. The fundraising goal is $100,000.
Those wishing to contribute can head to the #PalmettoStrong GoFundMe page at the following link: http://bit.ly/PalmettoStrong. All funds raised through this campaign will be donated to the American Red Cross of the Palmetto SC Region, which serves the entire state of South Carolina.
About the Charleston RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are the Class A affiliate of the 27-time World Series Champion New York Yankees. The club in 2015 established an all-time attendance record of 292,661fans. Owned by The Goldklang Group, the RiverDogs are one of the premier teams in all of Minor League Baseball as they have been recognized three times over a four-year period with the South Atlantic League's Excellence in Marketing Award, and is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Larry MacPhail Award that is awarded by Minor League Baseball for the best overall marketing efforts. The RiverDogs begin the 2016 season with a new logo as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
About the Columbia Fireflies
The Columbia Fireflies are the South Atlantic League affiliate of the New York Mets. The Fireflies will play games across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, including against in-state rivals in Charleston and Greenville. The team has partnered with the City of Columbia and Hughes Development to construct Spirit Communications Park, a multi-use outdoor sports and entertainment venue at the center of the BullStreet development. The Columbia Fireflies are owned by Hardball Capital, owners of the award-winning Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League and the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League. The Fireflies will open their 2016 home schedule on April 14th vs the Greenville Drive. For more information visit www.ColumbiaFireflies.com, or follow the Fireflies on Twitter (@ColaFireflies), Facebook (facebook.com/columbiafireflies) and all popular social media sites. For more information on the Columbia Fireflies, please contact Abby Naas by calling (803) 726-HITS (4487) or by emailing [email protected].
About the Greenville Drive
The Greenville Drive, the South Atlantic League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, just completed its 10th Anniversary Seeason at award-winning Fluor Field in downtown Greenville. Since 2006, more than 400,000 fans a year have been welcomed to Fluor Field for both Drive games and additional community events. In 2012, the Drive was honored with the prestigious Freitas Award, presented by Baseball America and given to an organization which exemplifies excellence in operations, franchise stability and community engagement. 53 Drive alumni have gone on to play at the major-league level, 13 of which were members of the Red Sox 2013 World Series Championship Team.
About the Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top four in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last four seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last four years and the best in the Carolina League for four straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made nine postseason appearances behind 11 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, as well as five Southern Division titles, most recently in 2015. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact Nathan Barnett by calling (843) 918-6080 or emailing [email protected].