Sea Dogs announce initiatives to aid Lewiston victims
Portland, Maine- The Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, have announced a series of initiatives to aid those who have been affected by the recent tragedy in Lewiston. Two fundraising nights and an online auction have been established. The Sea Dogs will host Lewiston/ Auburn
Portland, Maine- The Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, have announced a series of initiatives to aid those who have been affected by the recent tragedy in Lewiston. Two fundraising nights and an online auction have been established.
The Sea Dogs will host Lewiston/ Auburn Community Night on Wednesday, July 31st at 6:00 PM against the Erie SeaWolves. The night will also be Maine Strong night, where the team will wear specially designed Maine jerseys based on the original State of Maine flag. The back of the jersey will have “Lewiston Strong” on the nameplate. There will also be an outline of the state of Maine on the jersey with a heart placed on Lewiston’s location. The jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit the Lewiston/ Auburn Response Fund, an organization addressing the current and emerging needs associated with this tragedy. With the Maine Community Fund as a conduit, 100% of every dollar donated will be allocated to people impacted and the organizations that will help guide Lewiston-Auburn through the process of healing. The Sea Dogs will honor victims of the tragedy at the game as well as local businesses, first responders, and community leaders.
With the deaf community being particularly hard hit by the tragic events, the Sea Dogs will also host a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness night at the ballpark on Wednesday, June 19th at 6:00 PM when the Sea Dogs host the Richmond Flying Squirrels at Hadlock Field. The Sea Dogs will wear specially designed jerseys that have “Sea Dogs” spelled out in American Sign Language (ASL). The jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit the Pine Tree Society. The Pine Tree Society is Maine’s only not-for-profit sign language interpreting agency. It’s also where one of the victims of the Lewiston victims, Joshua Seal, worked as the Director of Interpreting Services. As part of the night, the Sounds of Silence will perform the National Anthem in ASL.
More details on each of these nights will be released later.
Additionally, the Sea Dogs have launched an online auction that will also benefit the Lewiston/ Auburn Response Fund. Among the items up for auction include a Kevin Millar autographed baseball, a Pedro Martinez autographed baseball, Pete Rose autographed bat, and an autographed Ceddanne Rafaela bobblehead. The Sea Dogs are grateful to teams such as the Worcester Red Sox, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and Somerset Patriots who have all contributed items for the auction. Items will continue to be added to the auction as we continue to receive contributions from other teams. Fans can place bids on the auction items at seadogs.com. The auction ends on Friday, November 17th.
“As a pillar of our community, we have an opportunity to support and aid those affected by the tragedy as the healing process begins,” stated Sea Dogs President & General Manager Geoff Iacuessa. “This tragedy not only shook the city of Lewiston but all of us who call the great state of Maine home. We strive to be more than just a baseball team, we want to be strong, active members of our community and do our part to give back and help when our community needs it most.”
Tickets for these games and all 2024 Sea Dogs home games will go on sale on Saturday, November 4th. In-person sales at Hadlock Field start at 9:00 AM, while phone and online sales start at 10:00 AM.