Spikes join effort to collect gloves for troops

The State College Spikes, Postal Express of State College and the B94.5 Morning Zoo Crew are teaming up locally to assist in a campaign to collect baseball gloves and provide them to active military personnel stationed around the world. The campaign, named Gloves 4 Troops, was started by St. Louis Cardinals minor league player Vance Albitz and has a goal of a sending 1,000 gloves overseas to help provide troops with recreation and a reminder of being home while stationed abroad.

To assist in the nationwide effort, the Spikes, Postal Express and B94.5 have set an ambitious local goal of collecting 200 gloves by February 11. Once collected, all gloves will be shipped to Vance at the "Gloves 4 Troops" headquarters in Torrance, California. Postal Express has generously agreed to provide free shipping for all gloves collected and sent to California.

Anyone willing to contribute a useable baseball glove to this cause can drop them off at the following locations:

• The State College Spikes Main Offices located at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the corner of Porter and Curtin Roads
• Postal Express (State College) located in the Walmart Shopping Plaza on North Atherton Street
• B94.5/Results Radio Studios located at 160 Clearview Avenue in State College
• SpikesFest Event on Sunday, February 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Penn State Indoor Multi Sport Facility

To further promote the cause, a Gloves 4 Troops collection event called "Box the Buck" will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9 from 12-3 p.m. at Postal Express in the Walmart Shopping Plaza on North Atherton Street. Ike the Spike will be on hand to encourage donations of baseball gloves, and in the event the goal of 200 gloves is not met by the end of the event, the shipping experts at Postal Express will box up and ship Ike all the way to the Redwood Forest in California!

Simply Tan of State College will also be on hand to provide two (2) free tans to anyone who visits the "Box the Buck" event and donates a glove and the B94.5 Morning Zoo Crew will provide a live action remote broadcast from the event.

For more information, updates and photos on the nation-wide Gloves 4 Troops collection effort follow Vance Albitz on twitter @VanceAlbitz or visit www.gloves4troops.com.

The Spikes will open the club's 2013 New York-Penn League schedule on Monday, June 17 with a 7:05 p.m. game against the Williamsport Crosscutters (Philadelphia Phillies) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Spikes will host 38 nights of fun, affordable family entertainment and future Major League Baseball stars in action between June 17 and August 30. Season tickets, Flex Books, Value Plans and a variety of group and hospitality options are currently available for the 2013 season and can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711.