Storm Chasers Earn Silver at Pinnacle Awards

The Omaha Storm Chasers earned the silver award in the Promotions Large Business category at the American Marketing Association Pinnacle Awards virtual banquet Monday evening. The Chasers were recognized for their “Omaha Potholes” promotion that was celebrated April 24, 2019.

"Potholes night was one that started totally organic with the April Fools joke and turned into a full-blown promotional success," said Storm Chasers President Martie Cordaro. "We are honored to have the promotion recognized by the AMA and can’t wait for Potholes, Episode 2 in 2021."

The “Omaha Potholes Night” promotion was named the 2019 April Promotion of the Month by Minor League Baseball, beating out more than 40 other submissions and was a finalist for the Golden Bobblehead Award.

What was originally an April Fool’s Day prank turned into a real promotion. The Storm Chasers worked with over seven Omaha Metro public works departments to host over 800 publics works employees at that night’s game as a thank you for their hard work working in snow and ice during the winter, and repairing roads in the spring to ensure the public’s safety.

Storm Chasers players and coaches also wore special batting practice gear featuring the Omaha Potholes name and logo prior to that night’s game, which was then autographed and auctioned off during the game. Thanks to that auction, as well as the sale of Omaha Potholes jerseys and other merchandise, $10,865 was raised for Chasers Charities to help repair Little League fields with City of Bellevue Recreation and DC West Youth Sports damaged by historic floods this spring.

The first 1,000 fans to enter Werner Park that evening also received a free “Spare Tire” (also known as a donut) thanks to Krispy Kreme, while other special concessions items available that evening such as Rocky Road Ice Cream with shovels given to fans for use as spoons, along with “Pothole Philly” Sandwiches and Ale Storm Beer renamed Pothole Chasers Ale.

Founded in 1959, the AMA Omaha is the local Chapter of the American Marketing Association, the world's largest nonprofit marketing association with more than 40,000 members. AMA Omaha received the Finance Special Merit Chapter Excellence Award for the 2016-17 year and the Communications Special Merit CEA for the 2017-18 year.