RICHMOND, VA - The Richmond Flying Squirrels and Puritan Cleaners collected over 500 coats during a four hour period, Saturday, November 21st, as part of the Ballpark Warming Party. Nearly 1,500 fans participated in the event which included ballpark renovation tours, carnival games, karaoke and food sampling.
"The Ballpark Warming Party was awesome," said Flying Squirrels' Vice President & COO Todd "Parney" Parnell. "There was really great energy and really great results for Puritan Cleaners and Coats for Kids. We can't thank the community enough for its support of the event."
All fans that donated coats received raffle tickets and were eligible to enter into a free raffle which consisted of 29 unique items. Among the great prizes fans won were autographed baseballs from baseball Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Brooks Robinson, autographed baseballs from Atlanta Braves Brian McCann and Tim Hudson, autographed memorabilia from baseball greats Cal Ripken, Jr. and Jim Palmer, ticket packages to the Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal 400 and Nationwide Series at Richmond International Raceway, as well as prize packages from noted minor league teams and local businesses.
"It was a great day to be at the ballpark," said Puritan Cleaners President Gary Glover. "We got to meet a lot of nice people, collect a truckload full of coats, and spend some time with the Flying Squirrels' staff. Their energy and enthusiasm are contagious, and they did a great job of creating a lively and enjoyable event. It looks like The Diamond is going to be a really fun place to be next baseball season. Thanks to all the fans who came out and to the Flying Squirrels for hosting the event. We really appreciate it."
In the continuing effort to guarantee children's warmth through the winter months, Puritan Cleaners has collected more than 300,000 coats since the program's inception 22 years ago. For more information on how to help the Coats for Kids program, please log on to www.puritancleaners.com. Included at the on-line home of Coats for Kids are drop-off locations, flyers, coloring pages and videos. For those who were unable to attend the Ballpark Warming Party, coats can be donated throughout the month of November at any Puritan Cleaners location. Home delivery route managers are also collecting coats on their runs throughout the month.
Puritan Cleaners has 13 locations throughout the greater Richmond and also has an extensive home delivery program that covers much of the area. They offer dry cleaning, laundry, alterations and other related services. Puritan has been very active in the Richmond community with outreach programs that include Coat for Kids, the 100,000 Meals for Kids Campaign, the Good Interview Program (free cleaning for Richmond's unemployed), Thank You Patriot and Cinderella Dreams.
Season-ticket packages for the inaugural season of Flying Squirrels baseball are currently available. For more information, call the Flying Squirrels at 804-359-FUNN (3866) or log on to SquirrelsBaseball.com. Flying Squirrels apparel and memorabilia will be available for the first time on Tuesday, December 1st at 3 PM as the team celebrates the grand opening of the all-new Flying Squirrels merchandise store at The Diamond, and also launches its on-line pro shop at SquirrelsBaseball.com.
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