Kane County Cougars Baseball Foundation, Inc. Presents 2018 Community Report

GENEVA, Ill. - The Kane County Cougars Baseball Foundation, Inc. is proud to present the fourth Annual Report to the Community detailing the charitable outreach completed in 2018. The report lists the extensive accomplishments of the Foundation and the notable programs coordinated by the Cougars. This is the first time in the 28 year history of the franchise that donations have exceeded the million dollar level thanks to new charitable partnerships in addition to programs that have become staples in the community, proving that baseball is more than just a game.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2018 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
Huntington Bank and the Cougars teamed up for a new program in 2018 called Huntington Helping Hand. A $5,000 donation was made to Blessings in a Backpack Chicago headquarters, a non-profit organization which feeds over 87,000 children across the United States.
Tangled Roots, the official craft beer of the Cougars, committed to donating $1 for every sale of 108 Double Stitch Ale, the Cougars signature beer at their headquarters in Ottawa, Ill, to Trinity Services, Inc. In the first year of the partnership, a total of $1,182 was donated.
In-game programs, including the 50/50 Raffle, presented by Bret Brizzolara of Country Financial and the Acres Group Pitch-in for Charity raised over $27,000 to support local causes such as the Northern Illinois Food Bank, CASA Kane County, Brave Hearts for Kids, Mutual Ground as well as Loaves and Fishes CARES.
The Al Mueller Memorial Scholarship Fund provided $7,500 to five local accounting college students to further their education. The Ozzie and Annie Reading Scholars awarded $3,000 to six winners as a reward for the impact their involvement with the Cougars Reading Club has formed in their everyday lives.
Each year the Cougars Reading Club encourages over 126,000 local students to meet reading goals with incentives such as game tickets, food vouchers and a drawstring backpack. In-kind donations totaled $684,812 in 2018 while in-kind donations for the Cougars Summer Reading Library program totaled $70,551.
The Cougars are committed to showing our active duty military and veterans how much their sacrifices mean to us through a variety of organizations including the Illinois National Guard, Operation Support Our Troops and the Veteran Tickets Foundation, with in-kind donations totaling $20,949 in 2018.
Multiple community appearances, high school seminars, clinics and events show the Cougars on-going commitment to the surrounding community through programs such as senior citizen half-price tickets and food vouchers, holiday turkey distribution at the Tri-Cities Salvation Army, our annual Winter Coat Drive and a partnership with Two Men and a Truck to collect items through the Movers for Moms program.
"Our vision has always been to use the Kane County Cougars Baseball Foundation, Inc. to put a smile on someone's face," said Cougars owner Cheryl Froehlich. "Reaching the million dollar fundraising mark reinforces the commitment the Cougars organization and our charitable arm has to serving our community beyond the baseball field."
"It's truly an honor to see the impact that the Kane County Cougars Baseball Foundation, Inc. has and will continue to make in the lives of those around us," added Cougars owner Dr. Bob Froehlich.
About the Kane County Cougars
The Cougars, Class-A Minor League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, have been at the forefront of family-friendly entertainment since 1991. In 2015, the franchise became the first Class-A team in Minor League Baseball history to welcome 11 million fans through the gates. A total of 171 former Cougars have reached the Major Leagues including Miguel Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Kyle Schwarber.

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