MiLB Charities renews with partners
More than 55 million dollars in cash and in-kind donations has been raised since the Minor League Baseball Charities partner's program began in 2004.
"We are proud to once again support The ALS Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Special Olympics and Ed Randall's Fans for the Cure through our Minor League Baseball Charities Foundation," Minor League Baseball president, Pat O'Conner, said. "A longstanding characteristic of Minor League Baseball is its commitment to the communities in which its clubs play. Working with these four organizations enables our clubs to better serve the cities they call home."
The ALS Association is a not-for-profit voluntary health organization dedicated to increasing awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
"The ALS Association is proud to continue our great partnership with Minor League Baseball in the effort to strikeout Lou Gehrig's Disease," said Jane Gilbert, president & CEO of The ALS Association.
"Since The Association became an official charity partner in 2004, MiLB and its teams across the country not only have raised awareness of this horrific disease, but they also have championed our cause in local communities, generating support for our Chapters and the people living with ALS they serve, including military veterans who are twice as likely to develop Lou Gehrig's Disease. As the 2012 season begins, we are confident that this partnership will help us bring an end to Lou Gehrig's Disease."
Big Brothers Big Sisters strives to provide a mentor for every child who wants or needs one.
"The Big Brothers Big Sisters team is thrilled that Minor League Baseball is committed to supporting our mission to provide children facing adversity with quality mentoring services that lead to educational success, risky behavior avoidance and greater confidence," said Max Miller, co-CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. "We hold ourselves accountable to the children and families we serve, as well as to the volunteers, donors and community partners who provide the resources that make our work possible." Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programming to nearly three million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 180 countries.
"We are excited that our partnership with Minor League Baseball will continue this season," said Special Olympics North America president and managing director, Bob Gobrecht. "The dedication of Minor League Baseball's teams and athletes provides us with a unique vehicle to spread our message of acceptance and inclusion of Special Olympics athletes, and the partnership helps unite people throughout communities where Minor League Baseball teams play."
Ed Randall's Fans for the Cure heightens prostate cancer awareness, promotes early PSA testing, and raises much needed research funds to fight the disease. MiLB designated the organization as its first homegrown charity partner in 2009.
"Having spent seven years in the Minor Leagues, this institution holds a special place in my heart," remarked Ed Randall, founder & CEO, Ed Randall's Fans for the Cure. "The constant nurturing, trust, support and encouragement that Minor League Baseball has shown our charity, that begins with Pat O'Conner, is humbling and has propelled us to greater heights. Minor League Baseball is the crown jewel of American professional sports. We are honored to be back in their ballparks for our sixth season in a partnership we treasure, to spread our twin gospels of prostate cancer awareness and education to save the lives of American men from coast-to-coast. Very frankly, their designation of us as an Official Charitable Partner at the 2009 Baseball Winter Meetings™ in Indianapolis conferred instant credibility upon our efforts."
The ALS Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters have been with The Minor League Baseball Charities partner's program since its beginning eight years ago. Special Olympics joined in 2005. The program's mission is to provide national exposure for these charities, expand current relationships between clubs and local chapters and to foster new relationships where none exist.
About Minor League Baseball Charities
Minor League Baseball Charities is a separate tax exempt, 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, Inc. Please visit http://milbcharities.milbstore.com to make a donation to MiLB Charities or www.MiLB.com for more information about it.
About ALS
The ALS Association is the only non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. The mission of The ALS Association is to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig's Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, including educational success and avoidance of risky behaviors, as well as pursuing higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children ("Littles") with screened volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches in building safe, enduring relationships. The first-ever Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Summary, released in 2012, substantiates that its mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness.
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization's 100-year history. With about 350 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 630,000 children, volunteers and families. Learn how you can positively impact a child's life, donate or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org online.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives through the power of sport by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to more than 3.7 million athletes in more than 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition and other related programs.
Special Olympics now takes place every day, changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities all over the world, from community playgrounds and ball fields in every small neighborhood's backyard to World Games.
Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy and friendship. Special Olympics continues to grow, thanks in part to the support of global corporate sponsors including The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Hilton Worldwide, Mattel and Lions Club International. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org online. Engage with us on Twitter @specialolympics, and in Facebook at fb.com/specialolympics. Watch us on YouTube at youtube.com/specialolympicshq, and visit specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com online.
About Ed Randall's Fans for the Cure
Ed Randall's Fans for the Cure -- www.fans4thecure.org -- was formed in 2003 to help inform and educate and increase awareness of the American public about prostate cancer. Ed Randall, its founder, is a prostate cancer survivor whose grateful response to receiving a second at-bat at life was to establish this charity. A nationally recognized baseball broadcaster, he spent seven years in the Minor Leagues, maintaining friendships through the years with owner/operators of franchises and league presidents.
That is why, in 2007, he launched his inaugural Minor League Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Road Trip to 70 stadiums from coast-to-coast. By 2011, it had grown to 175 cities and towns.
At the Baseball Winter Meetings, the charity was proudly designated as an Official Charitable Partner of Minor League Baseball.
This family has been extended to include a distinguished group of prostate cancer survivors on our Legends for Life Advisory Board lending their voices and support to promote our cause. They include Hall of Famers Brooks and Frank Robinson, Carlton Fisk, Phil Niekro and, from other sports, Arnold Palmer, Roy Emerson, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, Jerry Colangelo, Don Nelson and Marv Levy.
This charity is an all-inclusive repository offering a spectrum of assistance to all seeking counseling and advice from an esteemed board of medical advisors providing a simple measure of comfort and dignity to those in need.