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AA St. Paul Saints

Saints July 3 Game All About Helping Military Children as They Defend the Base Line

June 26, 2014 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN (June 26, 2014) - "You Wanna Have A Catch - It's a simple question, but one that resonates with every young kid and parent. It may be the quintessential line in the movie Field of Dreams, one that harkens all of us back to simpler times of our childhood. The St. Paul Saints are going back to those days during their annual celebration of heroes and our nation's independence on July 3 as they team up with Defending the Base Line to help bring baseball to the children of military families.

On Thursday, July 3 the Saints will take on the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at 7:05 p.m. The game will be preceded by a pregame presentation featuring a swearing-in ceremony for the Minneapolis Recruiting Battalion. Also in attendance will be future soldiers from the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Recruiting Companies. Most of the future soldiers will be leaving this summer to attend training at various locations in the U.S. The pregame festivities will also highlight the efforts of Defending the Base Line by paying tribute to several families who have served our military and benefitted from this wonderful organization's efforts. Following the game fans will be treated to the best fireworks show in the Twin Cities presented by Xcel Energy.

Defending the Base Line is a non-profit organization that ensures children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of baseball. They provide free baseball equipment for military children, special events and financial assistance for registration fees and costs associated with baseball. In addition, they provide unique experiences for these families.

Along with the special experiences, Defending the Base Line plans and hosts events to raise funds which are used to purchase baseball equipment and provide grants for association dues for the children of military parents.

"Each season we find a new way to honor the military and pay tribute to heroes on our Independence Day Celebration game," said Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Derek Sharrer. "We all remember what it was like playing baseball growing up, and this is our chance to highlight Defending the Base Line, heroes that help provide kids the opportunity to enjoy the game and raise awareness of how helpful it can be as their parents are fighting for our freedom."

Five different Defending the Base Line families will be honored in a special ceremony during the evening.

In an effort to ensure that as many current and former military families as possible are able to enjoy this Independence Celebration with the Saints 1,500 free tickets have been made available thanks to the generosity of the Saints and their partners.

The Minnesota National Guard will present the colors and the Minnesota Chorales will sing the National Anthem. Following the game one of the longest, loudest and most colorful fireworks shows in the area will conclude this special evening.

In seasons past the Saints have honored disabled veterans, Women in the Military, the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, the Wounded Warrior Project, Vietnam Veterans, Minnesotan's in the Military and Military Mom's. The Independence Day Game has traditionally drawn capacity crowds including a record crowd of 9.312 on July 6, 2007.

Tickets are available for the July 6 Independence Day game starting at $9 for general admission, $12 for outfield reserved and $16 for infield reserved. Tickets for all other home games are available starting at $6 for general admission, $9 for outfield reserved and $14 for infield reserved. Friday Home Games with post-game fireworks (except August 28) are an additional $2 per ticket. The August 28 game also features extended post-game fireworks and is an additional $3 per ticket. Tickets purchased on the Day of the Game are an additional $2 per ticket. Children under the age of 12 and seniors 65 and older receive $1 off the admission price. Children under 2 that don't require a seat are free.

Tickets for all Saints regular season home games are available now, in person at the Saints Box Office, by phone at 651-644-6659 or online at saintsbaseball.com.

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