SAL1 Hagerstown Suns

Suns Raise Over $4,500 For Breast Cancer Awareness

Published on July 23, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hagerstown Suns News Release


HAGERSTOWN, MD - Over 3,000 fans turned up at Municipal Stadium for the Hagerstown Suns Third Annual "Pitching Pink" promotion on Saturday, June 7th. Associated Radiologists, The Real Red Barron, Carefirst Bluecross Blueshield, Phoenix Color and Prettyman Broadcasting sponsored the event. After calculating all revenues from the jersey sale, and the ribbon sales, the Suns have donated $4,539.00 to Breast Cancer Awareness-Cumberland Valley.

A majority of the funds were raised through the Suns annual "Shirt Off Our Backs" auction. The team wore special pink jerseys during the game which were auctioned off and presented to the winning bidder immediately following the contest. All proceeds from the auction were donated to BCA-CV.

During the first five innings of the game, fans were invited to place a bid on each of the 29 jerseys available, and in the sixth inning the auction went live in the Hagerstown Trust Plaza. Tom Riford, a BCA-CV Board Member as well as Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director and longtime Suns fan, presided as auctioneer for the second year in a row.

"The Suns thank Tom Riford and all of our fans for their participation in this auction, and ultimately, for raising over $4,500 for Breast Cancer Awareness - Cumberland Valley," said Suns General Manager Will Smith. "We're ecstatic over the attention this promotion receives and the awareness it brings each year towards breast cancer and the importance of early detection."

The Suns also raised money for BCA-CV through the sale of pink breast cancer-awareness ribbons. The ribbons sold for $1.00, and were available at the ticket office and in the merchandise store throughout the first two months of the season.

Joan Fell, the Executive Director of BCA-CV, was on hand at Municipal Stadium throughout the event.

"Breast Cancer Awareness-Cumberland Valley (BCA-CV) applauds the Hagerstown Suns for their tremendous support of early breast cancer detection in our community," said Fell. "The pink player jerseys reinforce the idea that breast cancer touches everyone in the family. The women in our lives - wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers are touched by this disease but this diagnosis affects the whole family. Pitching Pink was a Pink Ribbon Grand Slam in the efforts to raise awareness in our community!"

Breast Cancer Awareness-Cumberland Valley is a non-profit organization based in Hagerstown that provides information and support for those affected by breast cancer. According to the BCA-CV website (www.hopeforu.org) their mission is "to ensure, through the power of communication, that no one face breast cancer alone." In that, the Pitching Pink promotion was a success not just by raising funds for the organization, but also by spreading information about BCA-CV and creating a sense of community at the game for those affected by breast cancer.

The Hagerstown Suns play at Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, MD and are a Class "A" affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Ticket packages and sponsorships are available by calling the Suns at 301-791-6266. Visit the Suns on the web at www.hagerstownsuns.com. The Suns are owned by Los Angeles based Mandalay Baseball Properties.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 23, 2008


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