PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

RedHawks jerseys will help Dominican amputees

Published on July 1, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


The Oklahoma RedHawks are giving the shirts off their backs to help amputees on July 4.

The RedHawks will wear green camo jerseys when they face the Iowa Cubs at 7:05 p.m. July 4 at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. The jerseys will be auctioned during the game to benefit the Limbs for Life Foundation for its Dominican Republic project. The jerseys will be available during a silent auction on the concourse. After the game, the winning bidders can pick up their jersey and have them autographed by the player who wore it.

Limbs for Life is a non-profit organization that buys prosthetic limbs for amputees who can't afford them in the United States. It also takes donated used limbs and distributes them to amputees in foreign countries, like the Dominican Republic. The money raised at the July 4 auction will be earmarked for use in the Dominican.

John Allgood is the RedHawks' executive director and also vice-chairman of the board for Limbs for Life. He and Limbs for Life's executive director Craig Gavras have personally been working on the foundation's Dominican outreach program for the last year and a half.

Limbs for Life has started a strong effort in the Dominican because several Dominicans lose limbs to trauma in that country, especially in motorcycle accidents. In June 2008, Limbs for Life sent a shipment of 300 limbs to its clinic in the Dominican.

"The Dominican Republic's situation with amputees really touched me on a personal and professional level," Allgood said. "Baseball has taken so much from the country from a baseball standpoint and this is a way that I and my colleagues can give back. This auction is just one of many that professional baseball is supporting that will directly put limbs on amputees in need in the Dominican."

Gavras said the Dominican outreach program has been a success thanks to the efforts of the RedHawks, other professional baseball clubs and all of Limbs for Life's donors.

"Over 3,000 people lose a limb each week," Gavras said. "It's important we continue to help those who otherwise wouldn't get a chance to walk, both in the U.S. and internationally. The jersey auction will help improve the lives of several amputees."




Pacific Coast League Stories from July 1, 2008


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