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Quad Cities River Bandits

Bandits Announce Annual Scholarship Giveaway

June 22, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


The Quad Cities River Bandits family made a proud announcement on Monday, introducing the Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship is named after the Quad Cities' own Keith Lucier, who suddenly passed away at the age of 35 after suffering from a brain aneurysm in April. Lucier, a graduate of Bettendorf High School and the University of Iowa, got his first job out of high school as an intern with the River Bandits in 1997, eventually earning a promotion to Director of Group Sales. A decade later, he returned to the River Bandits as Assistant General Manager for the 2008 season, helping the club increase per-game attendance by 56 percent as the new River Bandits returned to the Quad Cities.

"Keith Lucier was a great friend and a great professional, and he played an important role in the revival of the River Bandits," said team owner Dave Heller. "Those of us who were blessed to know him and work with him will always remember fondly his unflinching determination, his unsinkable spirit, his wry humor and, mostly, the grace with which he always carried himself. We, at the River Bandits, miss him immensely. But we hope that, through this scholarship, many young men and women will have a chance to experience what he experienced - both at the ballpark and at the University of Iowa."

The scholarship, which has been created by the River Bandits in conjunction with Jennifer Lucier, Keith's widow, gives one Quad City Area student a summer internship with the River Bandits after their high school graduation, then pays for their entire first year of tuition at the University of Iowa. The scholarship will be awarded annually, and Jennifer Lucier will chair the selection committee, which will also include Julie Bechtel, publisher of the Quad-City Times, and Kirk Goodman, Vice President and General Manager of the River Bandits.

"Keith loved passing on his knowledge of the world to everyone that came across his path," added Jennifer Lucier. "I feel honored to partner with the Quad Cities River Bandits to give this scholarship to one deserving student to work with the team Keith worked with and go to the school Keith graduated from and loved so much."

Lucier was known for being an avid sports fan who fondly recalled his days as an offensively lineman for the Bettendorf Bulldogs when they won the state title in 1991. His two favorite teams were the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Chicago Cubs. In addition to working with the River Bandits, his experience in sports management also included stints with the River City Rascals, an independent Frontier League team in suburban St. Louis, and the Quad City Flames. Most recently, he was working for Lee Enterprises at the Quad-City Times.

"The entire River Bandits family was deeply saddened when we lost Keith," said Goodman. "We all cherished his friendship, loyalty and personality and hope that we can honor his memory and help touch the lives of many people through the years with this scholarship."

Applications for the scholarship will be accepted from January 1 through April 30 of each year, and are open to all incoming freshmen at the Unversity of Iowa who reside in the Quad Cities metro area. The scholarship winner will be announced in May of each year and honored at an upcoming River Bandits' game.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits open the second half of the 2009 season with an eight-game homestand against Kane County and Burlington. It starts with $2 draft beers and fountain Pepsi products on a Thirst-day Thursday, while Chicago Bears Hall of Famer and Super Bowl XX MVP Richard Dent will be on hand Friday to sign autographs before a Fireworks Friday lights up the night sky. Autism Night follows on a Rockin' Saturday, as fans will receive Hillary Clinton bobblehead dolls pre-game, have the opportunity to purchase special-edition game-worn jerseys during an in-game jersey auction, and enjoy a live concert by VodkaSeven post-game. The weekend series concludes with a Pepsi Youth Jersey giveaway on another Tailz ‘Er Waggin' Dog Day of Summer, also a U.S. Bank Family Sunday!

ABOUT THE BANDITS: The Quad Cities River Bandits drew more than 103,000 fans in the first half of the season for only the third time in team history. Ticket sales, concessions, merchandise sales, sponsorships and even Kids' Zone revenues are all up over last season, which was one of the team's best in history! Banditwear, mini-plans, and individual game tickets are on sale for the 2009 season by calling (563) 3-BANDIT or heading to www.RiverBandits.com. But hurry - good seats are going fast!

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