Mackanin, Rupp, Altherr Among Banquet Guests

LAKEWOOD, NJ - New Phillies manager Pete Mackanin and former BlueClaws players Cameron Rupp and Aaron Altherr will be at Woodlake Country Club in Lakewood on January 20th for the annual Phillies Winter Banquet to benefit BlueClaws Charities. 

The event is presented by Investors Bank. All proceeds from the event will benefit BlueClaws Charities and their Community Partners Program. Doors open at 6 pm and the program will begin at 7 pm.

Ordering Tickets: To order tickets, call JoAnne Bell at 732-901-7000 ext 100. Tickets are $50 for adults (choose between fish, chicken, and beef) and $20 for a child ages 12 & under (chicken tenders & fries). To order tickets online, click here.

Mackanin was named Phillies manager on September 22nd after serving as interim manager since June 26th. He had previously been the team's third base coach since the start of the 2014 season and was the Phillies bench coach from 2009 - 2012. Mackanin had previously served as an interim manager with Pittsburgh in 2005 and Cincinnati in 2007. He was drafted by Washington Senators in 1969 and played for the Rangers, Expos, Phillies, and Twins over a nine year big league career.

Rupp, 27, played for the BlueClaws in 2011 after being drafted by the Phillies in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft from the University of Texas. With Lakewood, he hit .272 with four home runs before up through the farm system. Rupp made his Phillies debut in 2013 and has played in the big leagues for parts of each of the last three years. In 2015, he hit nine home runs in 81 games.

Altherr, 25, was drafted by the Phillies in the 9th round of the 2009 draft. He played in Lakewood for part of the 2011 season and all of the 2012 season when he hit eight home runs and stole 25 bases. Altherr made his big league debut in 2014, playing two games. He had his best season in 2015, hitting .14 home runs and stealing 16 bases while batting .294 between Reading & Lehigh Valley. He finished the year playing 39 games with the Phillies, hitting five home runs.

All event proceeds benefit BlueClaws Charities, the team's official 501c3 non-profit organization. BlueClaws Charities works with over 40 Community Partner organizations throughout the year and recently completed their 2015 grant process, through which organizations received a cash grant to benefit a specific program to benefit underserved in Ocean & Monmouth Counties.

The BlueClaws are the Jersey Shore's top stop for affordable, family entertainment. They have led the South Atlantic League in attendnace in all 15 years of existence. 2016 ticket packages and group outings are currently on sale by calling 732-901-7000 option 3 or online at BlueClaws.com.

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