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The Pirates will host the "Pitch for Hope" Women's Baseball Clinic at PNC Park on Sunday, June 24. Proceeds benefit Glimmer of Hope, a Pittsburgh area based organization funding the only under-40 breast cancer study in the country.
Women ages 14 and older are invited to learn hitting, pitching, and fielding from Pirates coaches and players on the playing field at PNC Park. There will also be a catered brunch at the ballpark. All participants will receive a commemorative T-Shirt and there will be a raffle featuring autographed memorabilia.
The Pirate Parrot, in partnership with Mosites Motorsports and Pirates Charities,will hold his 3rd annual charity bike ride, leaving Pittsburgh on June 25th, and making stops in Altoona and State College. The Pirate Parrot will be driving round trip from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, over 700 miles!
The trek is an effort to raise awareness and funding for Prostate Cancer Research. But the Parrot can't do it alone! Pirates fans like you can sponsor him either by making a one-time flat contribution or by pledging as little as $.02 per-mile! All monies raised are tax deductible and will be used to benefit The Western Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Foundation.
The Pittsburgh Pirates would like to invite you to join us for our 2012 Awareness Series at PNC Park. The Pirates will partner with different non-profit service agencies throughout the region to host special events to raise funds and awareness for their specific causes.
Each organization will generate revenue through the sale of Pirates tickets for their cause and will utilize PNC Park to promote their organization's message.
The Pirates and Central Blood Bank will partner to host several blood drives at PNC Park again in 2012. The next drives are set for Tuesday, June 26, Wednesday, June 27 and Thursday, June 28. To make an appointment, please call 412-209-7080.
Donating blood is important as each individual whole blood donor can make a difference by saving up to three lives. Last year, more than 1,000 units were donated at Pirates Blood Drives, helping to save more than 3,000 lives in the Pittsburgh region. For more information, please call 1-866-DONORS-1 (1-866-366-6771), or visit centralbloodbank.org.
The Pirates, along with broadcasters Greg Brown and Steve Blass, will host two 65 Roses Club nights at PNC Park this season on Thursday, June 21 and Friday, August 24. The events will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and take place before each game.
The 65 Roses Club is a group of Pirates fans who have joined together to raise funds to fight cystic fibrosis. By making a pledge to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for every home run the Pirates hit, these fans have the opportunity to meet Pirates players at private pre-game receptions. After the receptions, everyone can enjoy the game to cheer on the Bucs!
The club gets its name from the way a child often learns to say "cystic fibrosis," which sounds like "sixty-five roses." It is a national sports program supported by teams in all areas of athletics, including baseball, football, basketball, hockey and soccer, to help raise funds to fight cystic fibrosis.
For complete information contact Max Flessner at (412) 321-4422 Ext. 15.
The popular Bowling with the Bucs fundraiser returned on Sunday, May 6 at Legacy Lanes in Baldwin. This year's hosts were Pirates pitchers Joel Hanrahan and Chris Resop.
This event offered fans the opportunity to meet and bowl with their favorite Pirates players and celebrities. All proceeds benefit Pirates Charities.
"Bowling with the Bucs" is a family-friendly event and featured - in addition to bowling - a silent auction, raffles and games.
Learn more about "Bowling with the Bucs" »
Bicycling enthusiasts joined Pirates Charities for a 100-bike stationary cycling event outside PNC Park on Saturday, May 12. The event raised money to support Pirates Charities and the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh's "Building Bridges" program.
Local instructors led this non-competitive cycle, lasting four hours, prior to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7:05 p.m. game vs. the Houston Astros.
Cyclists could elect to "buy" a bike for the entire four-hour event, or rent a bike by the hour. They could Register as an individual, or reserve bikes for themselves and a group of friends!
Learn more about Pedal for Pirates Charities »
The Pirates have introduced the Fantasy Baseball Math Program in classrooms within the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Fantasy Baseball is an integrated math program for students in grades 4-8 and is aligned with the Pennsylvania State Exams in the areas of mathematics, reading and physical education. Students learn mathematics skills through baseball statistics in a way that is fun and engaging. Students also create player cards and compete against one another in simulated baseball games. The program promotes higher order science, technology, engineering and math skills (STEM), in preparation for math-based careers.
Learn more about the Fantasy Baseball Math Program »
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was the keynote speaker for the Salvation Army's Allegheny County "Doing the Most Good" annual dinner on November 30, 2011. The Salvation Army honored members of the Pittsburgh Community who have made a positive contribution in 2011. Honorees included Norma Bixler, founder of Cornerstone Television, the Dunlap Family of CentiMark Corporation, and WTAE Channel 4 for the Project Bundle Up Initiative.
Addressing the crowd, Hurdle spoke about his own efforts to do good in the community, and applauded the Salvation Army for their dedication. "The one thing I know about the Salvation Army," he said, "is that they don't get focused on the finish line. They just keep showing up for people they don't even know." He encouraged all the attendees to do their part by giving whatever time they could to help make a difference.
The entire Pirates team, joined by members of the Pirates coaching and front office staff, commemorated Clemente Day with a visit to Pittsburgh Faison PreK-5 in Homewood. Each year, in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools, Pirates Charities selects a school in need of supplies and equipment to receive a donation in celebration of the life and community service legacy of Pirates Hall-of-Famer Roberto Clemente.
The Pirates hand-delivered over $20,000 worth of school supplies and recreation equipment, and students had the opportunity to hear Vera Clemente, Goodwill Ambassador for Major League Baseball and widow of the late Roberto Clemente, along with her son Luis, speak about the importance of giving back to the community. Some of the items given to the school included notebooks, paper, pencils, crayons, yoga mats, volleyballs and bicycles.
On August 23, 2011, the Pirates and the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh partnered for a Domestic Violence Awareness event at the YWCA. Additional partners included three local domestic violence shelters including Alle-Kiskee Area HOPE Center, Inc., Crisis Center North, and Womansplace, Inc. At the event, local domestic violence organizations were on hand with resource tables for guests to learn about programs, services, and resources available in the region.
In addition, over 200 supply kits were stuffed for the shelters by Pirates players, wives and other guests. Items included: soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothbrushes and dental Floss. Pirates player Michael McKenry and two players wives pitched in during the event to assist in the community.
The Pirates also hosted Domestic Violence Awareness Night in conjunction with the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh at PNC Park on September 7. During the game, our partner organizations were recognized on field for their amazing efforts throughout the community around domestic violence.
The Pittsburgh Pirates partnered with The Consortium for Public Education to host a children's book drive at PNC Park on Sunday, July 24th. Fans were asked to bring new or gently-used children's book to The Consortium for Public Education's booth on Federal Street.
The Consortium for Public Education is a private, non-profit, third party intermediary organization that works in 25 school districts in southwestern Pennsylvania. Their goal is to ensure that every child, in every community, receives a high-quality public education. They pursue resources for their partner school districts and encourage community and business involvement in the critical task of educating children.
Several years ago, they began a mission of collecting one million new/gently-used children's books in their The Fifth Food Group: Food for the Mind program. The collected books are sorted by reading level and sent to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for distribution to some 344-neighborhood food pantries throughout the region.
The Pirates hosted a Miracle League Fantasy Camp at the Pirates Charities Miracle League Field in Cranberry, PA for children with disabilities. Pirates players and coaches helped conduct the camp, including manager Clint Hurdle, Joel Hanrahan, Paul Maholm, Neil Walker and Michael McKenry.
The fantasy camp's focus was to provide youth with special needs the opportunity to learn and play the game of baseball while being able to provide a similar experience to Major League Baseball camps and clinics. Fourty children from the four regional Miracle Leagues - Southwestern PA (Cranberry), South Hills (Upper St. Clair), Western PA (Murrysville) and the Ohio Valley (Wheeling, WV) - were on hand to take part in the camp.
At the camp, the youth took part in five activity stations, led by the Pirates, that worked on hitting, throwing and catching skills. Each child also received their own Pirates jersey, complete with their name on the back, and was treated to lunch.
The event was sponsored by Pirates Charities and Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids. Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids is an organization headed up by Denver resident Jeremy Flug that provides funding for these types of camps throughout the US. This is the second year that Pirates Charities has worked with Mr. Flug, who was also in attendance for the camp.
The mission of the Miracle League of Southwestern PA in Cranberry Township, the host of the camp, is to provide the opportunity for children and adults with special needs a chance to experience playing baseball in a league-based environment. MLSWPA provides leadership and facilities for a baseball program for children and adults with special needs in a manner consistent with MLSWPA and community values. With a specially designed rubber turf field, MLSWPA makes dreams come true for children and adults who desire to play ball just like their brothers, sisters and friends.
Learn more about the Pirates Charities Miracle League Field »
Pirates starting pitcher Paul Maholm and his wife Jessica teamed up with the Gilda's Club of Western Pennsylvania to host their 5th Anniversary Party with a 'BBQ With the Bucs' event.
Fans of the Pirates and supporters of the Gilda's Club joined to help raise money for the Gilda's Club.
The mission of the Gilda's Club is to provide a meeting place where men, women and children living with cancer, along with their families and friends, can join with others to build social and emotional support as a supplement to medical care.
At the event, fans were be able to:
Pirates Pitcher Tony Watson was the 2011 Honorary Chair of the 23rd annual Epilepsy Family Fun/Run Walk at PNC Park. The event raised $170,000 for the Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central Pennsylvania.
The Moyer Foundation was founded in 2000 by MLB All-Star and World Series champion, Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen. The Foundation's mission is to empower children in distress by providing education and support - helping them to live healthy and inspired lives. The Foundation's largest initiative is Camp Erin, free bereavement camps for grieving children and teens ages 6-17. With more than 40 camps nationwide, Camp Erin is the largest bereavement camp in the country, serving more than 2,500 children annually.
In 2011, Camp Erin Pittsburgh was established in partnership with Good Samaritan Hospice. Each Camp Erin is facilitated through a long term partnership with a local bereavement agency. Together, these organizations and The Moyer Foundation raise funds to help bring the healing experience of Camp Erin to children in more communities each year.
For more information, to get involved, or to find a camp location near you, visit www.moyerfoundation.org.
The Pirates and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh teamed up for another season of Pirates Tales, a program that encourages kids to set reading goals during the summer months and read their way all the way to PNC Park!
Just like going to Pirates games, students from the entire Allegheny County region make reading part of their summer tradition. Pirates Tales, a community outreach program designed to promote literacy skills, is a great way for kids to strengthen their reading skills and have fun at the same time.
In 2010, more than 300 students in Allegheny County participated in the program by reading books over the summer and completing a book report. All kids who achieved their goals were entered into a contest with the winners invited to attend a Pirates home game, attend a special story time with Pirates pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and the Pirate Parrot for a reading of "Casey at the Bat", and received a Pirates goody bag.
Several individuals were recognized during an on-field ceremony prior to the game including: Dr. Barbara Mistick, President and Director of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; Jennifer Pickle, senior children's librarian; Constance Wong, children's librarian at the main library in Oakland; and Amy Godfrey, librarian at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Woods Run.
Pirates players and the athletic training and medical staffs partnered with the Hooten Foundation to host more than 60 children to PNC Park for a unique baseball and health clinic on Tuesday, July 20, 2010. PLAY, which stands for Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth, is based upon using the celebrity appeal of Major League Baseball and all of it's teams and players to help fight steroid abuse and to educate the young people of America about the dangers of steroids as well as promote a healthy and active lifestyle.
During the two-hour clinic, the youth were cycled through four different stations in the press conference room, the Pirates batting cages and on the field at PNC Park. At the stations, the participants learned about the dangers of steroids from Pirates Head Athletic Trainer Frank Velasquez and The Hooten Foundation founder, Don Hooten. The children also learned about nutrition and the proper way to eat to keep a healthy lifestyle from Pirates team doctor, Dr. Ed Snell. Finally, all youth were able to take some swings in the batting cage and learn about different activities they can utilize to stay healthy from the rest of the Pirates athletic training staff.
The Taylor Hooton Foundation was created to bring attention to the devastating problem that is steroids and to educate kids about the dangers of appearance and performance enhancing drugs. Don Hooten lost his son, Taylor, in 2003 after he took his own life at the age of 16 due to depression caused by anabolic steroids.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, as well as most public libraries throughout Allegheny County, offer a Teen Summer Reading program to provide middle and high school students with incentives to read during the summer months. Studies have shown that reading during the summer helps ensure that students begin a new school year without a loss in literacy skills; prizes and programs at the public library help make reading a fun part of teens' summer vacation.
Teen Summer Reading Night at PNC Park, a partnership between Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Pirates, provided teens participating in Summer Reading at 74 libraries throughout Allegheny County with a fantastic incentive to read over the summer.
Seventy-five teens who participated in the program at their local library were selected from nearly 1,500 entries to attend a special VIP party and receive tickets to a Pirates game at PNC Park. The teens' achievements will be celebrated with games and music and they'll have the opportunity to share their favorite books with each other. They'll also each receive a book by local Pittsburgh author Sharon G. Flake, to help ensure they continue reading for fun even after the summer is over!
Deb Coonelly, Becca Huntington, Jamie Russell, Renee Lopez, Kim Donovan (Joel Hanrahan's girlfriend) and Jessica Wade (Evan Meek's girlfriend) prepared and served a homecooked meal to 60 members of the Shadyside Family House.
Family House, a non-profit corporation operated by a voluntary board of directors, provides a special "home away from home" for patients and/or families who must travel to Pittsburgh for treatment of serious or life-threatening illnesses. Thanks to the generosity and support of the Pittsburgh community, Family House is able to provide a comfortable haven to help our guests through stressful times.
Throughout the season, Pirates Coaches visit the Pirates Community Baseball Center at the Shadyside Boys & Girls Club to host skill clinics with coaches from Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), Josh Gibson Baseball Academy and Citi Parks Big League Coaches. During each clinic, Pirates coaches mentor and instruct the coaches on teaching the proper baseball mechanics and answer all questions.
For the second year, Neil Walker was honorary co-chair of the Annual Players 4 Kids Gala benefiting the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation on November 3, 2011. Gala attendees enjoyed dinner and a special presentation geared towards promoting the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation, which strives to be a catalyst for bringing together a diverse coalition of 200 youth workers, serving in churches and youth serving agencies, combining resources to better serve the children and youth of the greater Pittsburgh area.
In addition, people had the chance to bid on a wide variety of professional sports memorabilia, including items from all Pittsburgh teams, in silent and live auctions. In all, the Gala raised more than $200,000 through generous donations by event attendees.
The only adult wheelchair softball team in southwestern Pennsylvania, the Pirates Wheelchair Softball Team, is a product of a partnership between the Pirates and HOPE Network, a Pittsburgh-based, non-profit organization. The Pirates Wheelchair Softball team provides adults with lower-extremity impairment with the opportunity to participate in America's greatest pastime on an equal yet competitive playing field.
Learn more about Pirates Wheelchair Softball »
Throughout the season, Pirates players visit and work with children in different settings and events around the greater Pittsburgh region.
Many players enjoy taking the time in to help brighten the days and put smiles on the faces of these children.
The Buses for Baseball program gives underprivileged kids throughout the United States and Canada the chance to attend a Major League baseball games and meet the players. The Players Trust partners with local transit authorities and Major League teams, as well as charitable organizations in all Major League cities, to share the thrill of a big league game with kids who need more chances to smile.
At each ballpark, kids are welcomed by players who spend time signing autographs, giving away souvenirs and posing for photographs. Complimentary food and soft drinks during the game -- and often the chance to see their own faces on the scoreboard -- provide lasting memories before the bus heads home.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were proud to welcome 50 children to PNC Park on April 26, 2011 for the Buses for Baseball program. The children were escorted into the ballpark to watch the Pirates take batting practice before anyone else was allowed in the park!
The Pittsburgh Pirates partner with Major League Baseball umpires to offer memorable baseball game experiences for children awaiting adoption and at-risk youth in mentoring programs.
Children receive a VIP experience including great seats to see the Pirates at PNC Park, a goody bag of 'all things baseball', and the unique opportunity to step onto the field for a souvenir baseball and photo.
UMPS CARE Charities, a 501c3 non-profit organization founded by Major League Baseball umpires, created the BLUE Crew Tickets program to share the gift of baseball with children and strengthen relationships between children and the adults who aim to make a difference in their lives.
More than 4,000 guests have participated in BLUE Crew Tickets since 2006. Learn more at www.UmpsCare.com.
In 2011, Pirates Charities once again supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania and Southern West Virginia with a donation to the annual "Kurt R. Weiss Scholarship for Wish Children" program, which was created in 1998 to help motivate wish children to pursue their post-high school educational ambitions.
In addition to financial support, Pirates Charities also hosted a group of scholarship recipients and their families and friends to a night at the ballpark on Friday, May 6. Before the game, the group of 140 gathered in the Trib Total Media Hall of Fame Club to recognize the accomplishments of the 21 scholarship recipients in attendance. Attendees also enjoyed a ballpark buffet on the Deck at PNC Park. Then, the scholarship recipients who attended the event proceeded to the field where they were recognized for their accomplishments by Team President Frank Coonelly. Make-A-Wish President/CEO Judi Stone and Development Coordinator Brittany Youngman also joined the group on the field.
Learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation Scholarship Program »
Each year, the greater Pittsburgh community comes together by the thousands to take one step, and then another, and another, moving forward on the journey to find a cure for breast cancer. The Pirates are a proud be a sponsor of the annual Susan G. Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure held each Mother's Day in Schenley Park. Join us as we look with hope to a day without breast cancer.
