Sports stats



PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Purity Faith Nights Heat Up With Second Round Of Bible Bobbles

July 19, 2005 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


Back by popular demand and better than ever, Purity Faith Nights have returned to Greer Stadium to the delight of families and church groups in Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, and Northern Alabama. Purity Faith Nights feature Christian concerts, fireworks, personal faith stories by Sounds players, appearances by Larry & Bob from VeggieTales, and bobblehead doll giveaways of Biblical figures.

Biblical bobbleheads of Queen Esther (July 29), John the Baptist (July 30), and Daniel in the Lions' Den (August 19) will be given away to the first 2,000 fans through the gate at the final three Purity Faith Nights of 2005. The bobbleheads are sponsored by Monell's Dining & Catering, Nelson Mazda, and Purity Dairies, respectively. Gates open at 5 p.m. on July 29 and August 19. Gates open at 4 p.m. on July 30.

A pre-game concert will begin 15 minutes after the gates open. The opening concert will last approximately 30 minutes and will be followed by a personal faith story by a Sounds player. A headlining concert act will take the stage from the end of the testimony until the ceremonial first pitch.

VeggieTales stars Bob and Larry will throw the ceremonial first pitch for all Purity Faith Night games 15 minutes before game time. Bob and Larry will be available for pictures through the third inning and will lead the crowd in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the middle of the seventh inning. Each Purity Faith Night concludes with a fireworks extravaganza.

Church groups can purchase tickets for this special night in advance for only $10. The price of admission includes admission to the concert, reserved seat for the game, hot dog, 20 oz. soft drink, recognition of the group over the public address system and on the scoreboard, a Biblical bobblehead for the first 2,000 fans through the gate, and a fireworks show.

In 2004, Faith Nights were an incredible success for the Sounds. The Sounds became the first sports team in history to give away Biblical bobblehead dolls when they distributed tributes to Moses, Samson, and Noah. The Sounds scored another first when they gave away 4,000 copies of the Heart of the Outdoors Bible.

The 2004 events drew media attention from the likes of ESPN, USA Today, Chicago Sun Times, Sports Illustrated, The 700 Club, and dozens of other newspapers and broadcast outlets around the world.

Attendance increased an average of 3,655 more fans on Faith Nights and 4,420 more fans on bobblehead giveaway nights as compared to the season average. In 2004, more than 550 church groups attended games, an increase of 220 groups from 2003. Of last season's top 10 attended Sounds games, five were Faith Nights. The Sounds expect between 800-900 church groups to attend Purity Faith Nights this season.

Brent High, Vice President of Sales for the Sounds, says what's great about the Purity Faith Nights is the fact that they accomplish a number of goals.

"They work for both the churches and the Sounds. Churches see them as an opportunity for outreach and church wide fellowship. The Sounds see them as an opportunity to introduce new people to a family-friendly product," High said. "It's very rewarding to come up with programs that simultaneously accomplish the missions of both of these groups."

The Sounds aren't the only ones excited about this year's Purity Faith Nights as word of the program has spread through local churches.

"I've been a baseball fan for years and have attended quite a few Sounds games. I know how enjoyable and family-oriented they try to be," said Eddie Sloan of The Pentecostals of Murfreesboro. "This year, I was looking for a venue to plan a social outing with my Sunday School class, and the suggestion was made to attend a Purity Faith Night. The ticket price was very reasonable, and with the Christian music concerts and fireworks after the game, it sounded like a great event to attend. The Sounds have given the Christian community in Middle Tennessee a fun place to bring Christian family and friends."

Not all groups attending are new to Purity Faith Nights. Ron Moore from Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro is bringing a group for the third straight season.

"Faith Night has become an annual event we all look forward to," said Moore. "As a larger congregation, it's one of the few things we can all do together."

Purity Dairies signed on as the title sponsor of this year's Faith Night series early this spring. Mark Ezell, President of Purity Dairies, sees multiple benefits from the association.

"We continue to be excited about community events like Faith Nights that promote family, faith, and fun," said Ezell. "We saw the partnership with the Sounds as a great way to promote our products. At the same time we hope to remind people that we are a local company run by local people that has been focused on being good stewards in this community since 1926."

Purity heads a group of corporate sponsors that includes Free Will Baptist Bible College, Lipscomb University, ChurchBus.com, TVA Green Power Switch, ChurchBus.com, Monell's Dining & Catering, Nelson Mazda, Chick-fil-a, Advance Auto Parts, Channel 4 WSMV-TV, the city of Pigeon Forge, WNAZ 89.1 FM, Spiritual Outdoor Adventures, Sterling Resorts, Sunburst Adventures, Mix 92.9 FM and Big Idea, Inc. Corporate sponsorship dollars for Faith Nights have doubled each of the last two years.

Individual game tickets for Faith Nights of any other game may be purchased by calling the Sounds at (615) 242-4371, ordering through the official team website at www.nashvillesounds.com, or by visiting the Greer Stadium box office, located at 534 Chestnut Street.

Check out the Nashville Sounds Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from July 19, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Nashville Sounds Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central