October 18, 2012 – Major League Baseball has dedicated Games One through Four of the 2012 World Series to highlighting MLB charitable partners and signature programs in order to raise awareness for important community causes, including: advancing the fight against cancer with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) during Game One; honoring veterans and their families with Welcome Back Veterans during Game Two; supporting youth, especially those in underserved communities, with MLB youth programs (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, & Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Breaking Barriers) during Game Three; and celebrating community service with Habitat for Humanity during Game Four. The 108th Fall Classic begins on Wednesday, October 24th LIVE on FOX.
“The World Series provides our charitable partners with a platform to shed light on social issues that are critically important to Major League Baseball and our fans,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “As a social institution with important social responsibilities, Major League Baseball is proud to continue using the attraction of the Fall Classic to make a positive impact in people’s lives.”
Game One – Advancing the Fight Against Cancer: Stand Up To Cancer
Game One of the 2012 World Series will highlight Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), as MLB will promote the importance of advancing the fight against cancer. The game will feature a special moment where fans and players will hold up placards with the names of loved ones affected by the disease, a new SU2C spot in conjunction with MasterCard will air and members of the MLB family will visit a children’s hospital treating cancer patients. In 2008, Major League Baseball became the founding donor of Stand Up To Cancer, which focuses on getting innovative therapies to patients as quickly as possible. Since its launch, Stand Up To Cancer has grown significantly with support from players, fans and all 30 MLB Clubs. Major League Baseball has donated more than $30 million to the organization since its inception.
Game Two – Veterans and Military Families: Welcome Back Veterans
MLB will highlight the League’s support for the military, specifically through the Welcome Back Veterans initiative, by dedicating Game Two to veterans and military families. There will be a special on-field, pre-game ceremony featuring a video narrated by Tom Brokaw to pay tribute to former Major Leaguers who served the United States of America in World War II. Launched in 2008 by Major League Baseball and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Welcome Back Veterans (www.WelcomeBackVeterans.org) has awarded more than $11 million in grants to non-profit agencies targeting returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans’ and their families’ greatest needs, focusing on treatment and research of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Game Three – Youth: Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities /Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Game Three will be dedicated to youth, especially those in underserved communities, through the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) and Breaking Barriers MLB programs, and also the League’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). During an on-field ceremony prior to Game Three, youth from all three programs will be recognized. Prior to the game, hundreds of young people from local RBI and BGCA programs will attend a “Wanna Play?” event and clinic. “Wanna Play?” is a multi-faceted initiative dedicated to youth fitness, encouraging boys and girls ages 6 to 12 to increase their overall fitness and nutrition education through physical activity while learning the fundamental skills of baseball and softball through fun and engaging activities. The event will be administered by the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
Game Four – Community Service: Habitat for Humanity
Game Four will be dedicated to celebrating the work of Habitat for Humanity, a long-time partner of MLB. Baseball will continue to promote the organization’s efforts, especially as it looks to help build new homes with families in Joplin, Missouri and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which were two of the communities devastated by tornadoes in April and May of 2011. Major League Baseball, the Players Trust and State Farm teamed up with Habitat for Humanity International to build nine homes in these communities – five in Joplin and four in Tuscaloosa, with two of them framed near Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City in the backdrop of the 83rd MLB All-Star Game.
Other Community Initiatives
Major League Baseball and TEAM Coalition supported the designated driver programs at all MLB ballparks during the 2012 championship season with a special incentive: fans who registered as a designated driver were entered into a drawing to be the Club’s official “Designated Driver.” The “Designated Drivers” from the National League Champions and the American League Champions will each receive two tickets and will be honored during Game One and Game Three, respectively.
Major League Baseball and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) will incorporate a wide variety of environmentally-sensitive efforts that include: “MLB Green Teams” during all World Series games collecting refuse for recycling and supplementing existing recycling programs; raising public awareness to educate fans about how to become more environmentally sensitive via online materials and PSAs; prioritizing bio-based products and recycled content materials at events throughout the World Series; and addressing energy usage through efficiency measures and by investing in renewable energy offsets.
Visit MLBCommunity.org for more information on each of these programs and all of MLB’s community initiatives.
# # #Contact: Matt Bourne or Steve Arocho, Major League Baseball, (212) 931-7878, twitter.com/mlb_pr.