Smokies Name Alzheimer's Tennessee as "Charity of Choice"

SEVIERVILLE - The Tennessee Smokies announced today that Alzheimer's Tennessee is their "Charity of Choice" for the 2016 season. 

"Through this partnership, we hope to spread the message of Alzheimer's Tennessee and leave a lasting impact on our fans and the community here in East Tennessee," said Smokies' Corporate Sales Executive Thomas Kappel. As the squad's "Charity of Choice", Alzheimer's Tennessee will be promoted throughout the ballpark to help raise awareness for all who are facing Alzheimer's and dementia. 

"We hope this partnership sends a strong message of hope and reminds fans, families, and friends that they're NOT alone when it comes to living with Alzheimer's and related dementias," said Alzheimer's Tennessee Executive Director Janice Wade-Whitehead. "We are honored that Boyd Sports and the Tennessee Smokies are helping us fulfill our mission and 'Strike Out Alzheimer's'. Of course, baseball is America's national pastime and a source of a lot of memories. Alzheimer's Tennessee encourages people to cherish, share, and celebrate their memories. This season we will help fans and families do that in come special ways here at Smokies Stadium."

Alzheimer's Tennessee will have a strong presence at Smokies Stadium all summer long, providing fans with a variety of ways to contribute and raise awareness. Opportunities include:

Merchandise Sales

The "round up" option will be available at the GoTeez Locker Room on all Smokies merchandise. Any time a fan makes a purchase, they will have the chance to round up their purchase to the next dollar amount with the difference being donated to Alzheimer's Tennessee. In addition to the "round up," a percentage of the sale of any game used bat in the GoTeez Locker Room will also be donated to Alzheimer's Tennessee. 

Specialty Jersey Auctions

The fun continues with specialty jersey auctions on "Swinging to the Oldies Night" on Friday, June 3 and "Purple out the Park Night" on Saturday, July 23 with all proceeds going directly to Alzheimer's Tennessee.  

Walk 4 Alzheimer's

Thanks to our friends at the Smoky Mountain Opry, anytime a Tennessee Smokies player walks during the 2016 season the Smoky Mountain Opry will make a donation to Alzheimer's Tennessee.

"Tenth Man of The Game"

Alzheimer's Tennessee and the Tennessee Smokies will be honoring a family who has been touched by Alzheimer's and inviting them to join our team so we can fight together. Every Saturday home game, one family will raise a flag at Smokies Stadium naming them as the "Tennessee Smokies Tenth Man of the Game". Fans are encourage to nominate a family to be the "Tenth Man of the Game" during the 2016 season by reaching out to Allie Crain at [email protected] or Kay Watson at [email protected].

Volunteer Opportunities

Alzheimer's Tennessee Walk Teams will have the opportunity to volunteer in the Tennessee Smokies Concession Stands. For every volunteer, a donation will be made by the Tennessee Smokies to each Walk Team's total Alzheimer's Walk fundraising amount. For more information on how to sign up to become a walk team please visit http://www.alztennessee.org/walks.

Alzheimer's Tennessee, Inc. was founded in 1983 by a group of Tennessee families and professionals. Today the 501c3 independent non-profit organization, still governed by a local Board of Directors, advocates for top research initiatives and provides services to the more than 120,000 individuals and families facing Alzheimer's disease and dementia in Tennessee.

Alzheimer's Tennessee Mission is to serve those facing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, to promote brain health through education, and to champion global prevention and treatment efforts.

The Smokies will begin their 2016 campaign at home on Thursday, April 7, with a five-game series against the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Season ticket, multi-game voucher plans and single-game tickets are currently available and can be purchased online at www.smokiesbaseball.com, or by calling the Smokies Ticket Office at (865) 286-2300.

 

ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES

The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the ten-team Southern League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America's national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com