SAL1 Greenville Drive

Greenville Get Chance to Pitch In for Greenville Hospital System MedEx Academy

Published on June 20, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, SC - Greenville can - literally - pitch in to help young people get a start in medicine on June 29 when Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center (GHS) and the Greenville Drive host "Greenville Pitches In for the Medical Experience Academy."

This special event will happen at Fluor Field with the Drive team playing the neighboring Ashville Tourists at 7:00 PM.

But this event's unique fun and fund-raising kick in when fans go down on the field and throw out their own pitches before the game. The Drive will donate $3 for every first pitch thrown by fans. It all benefits GHS' MedEx Academy, a catalyst and pipeline for students interested in advanced training in health care.

Fans can throw out ceremonial first pitches between 4 - 6 p.m., with Hall of Fame donors and other special guests giving it their pitching all from 6 - 7 p.m.

Drive Co-Owner and President Craig Brown commented on the event, saying, "This will be the Drive and Greenville Hospital System's third annual Grenville Pitches In at Fluor Field, and everyone who takes part is guaranteed to have a fun, memorable and meaningful experience.

Being able to take the mound at award winning Fluor Field is a rare treat and a remarkable thrill.

And helping to support the GHS MedEx Academy in the process is a great way to show Greenville's giving spirit and commitment to community.

We invite everyone to join the team and help us ‚¬Ëœpitch in' for this cause - you never know, there may even be some scouts in the stands looking for a new star!"

The game itself is a medical field day of in game entertainment, including a hospital staff home-run derby, a speeding stretcher race, and even a stitching competition which pits surgeons against each other to see who can sew a Drive patch on a Drive jersey the quickest.

The game is also an opportunity to celebrate the inaugural class of the MedEx Academy, the donors who made it possible and the five students who were each awarded with $2,500 in scholarships and on-going mentoring support.

"It's so important we help develop the qualified workforce necessary to care for our community," said GHS CEO and President Michael Riordan. "We're proud to partner with The Drive and Craig Brown, and we're particularly proud to work with these outstanding young people and the promise they offer for the future of health care."

More than 46 students have been accepted into fledgling program, which offers everything from an initial four-week pilot experience for high school students

to advanced research opportunities for college students. Eventually, its organizers hope to extend it down to the elementary level as well.

MedEx is intended as a catalyst to interest and prepare students for careers in the health-sciences field, whether it's as doctors, nurses, technicians, HR officers or any of 1,000 potential health-care jobs.

The program has already drawn more than 400 students for its initial 21 high school and 15 college spots.

"This program unites the passion of dreams with the promise of opportunity by galvanizing local families, businesses and academia around students, many of whom had toyed with the idea of medicine but didn't think it would be possible," said Alfred Squire, workforce development director for GHS. "But, with this extra guidance and the potential of scholarship funding, these students now see health-care careers as a real possibility."

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 20, 2011


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