2014n All-Star Week Community Event Schedule
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND THE MINNESOTA TWINS ANNOUNCE 2014 ALL-STAR WEEK COMMUNITY EVENT SCHEDULE
Projects Supporting Youth, Veterans and Families in Need, Mark the Most Extensive Community Legacy Effort in All-Star Game History. More Than $8 Million To Be Donated To Local Projects and National Charitable Initiatives
Major League Baseball and the Minnesota Twins today announced the 2014 All-Star Week community event schedule, which consists of projects that will be unveiled throughout MLB All-Star Week, from Wednesday, July 9th through Tuesday, July 15th the day of the 85th MLB All-Star Game at Target Field. These projects will commemorate the most extensive community legacy effort in Midsummer Classic history.
MLB and the Twins will donate more than $8 million, through MLB Charities, the Minnesota Twins, the Twins Community Fund and the Pohlad Family Foundation, toward these All-Star projects and in support of national charitable initiatives, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, National Recreation and Park Association, Stand Up to Cancer, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Starlight Childrens Foundation, the Starkey Hearing Foundation and Susan G. Komen, among others. A portion of the funds will be raised from Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 14th. Since 1997, MLB has donated more than $65 million in All-Star charitable contributions.
As a complement to the Midsummer celebration of Baseball and the Minnesota Twins, the events and initiatives will seek to impact the lives of local veterans and underserved and special needs youth, place a focus on improving the health and well-being of local citizens, support cancer research, and highlight the importance of safety and environmental consciousness.
The effort includes renovation projects throughout the Twin Cities and Twins Territory, including an activity room at a local Boys & Girls Club, a services center for homeless veterans, five youth baseball fields and a nature sanctuary within the heart of St. Paul; a mobile eye clinic for un- or under-insured children and adults throughout Minnesota; a color run at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds; and donations for various health-related initiatives during All-Star Week. A variety of Twins legends will participate in community events throughout All-Star Week including Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek, Tom Kelly, Tony Oliva, Frank Viola, and more. Bank of America, Church & Dwight and Scotts are among the MLB sponsors supporting various elements of this All-Star community effort.
Below is a brief, chronological schedule of the All-Star Week Community Activities. (NOTE: ATTACHED are two documents, one containing descriptions for each of the below projects, and the other, a color chart laying out the schedule on one page):
Wednesday, July 9th
· 6:00 p.m. Kevin Thoresen All-Star Miracle League Field Unveiling (Hibbing, MN)
Thursday, July 10th
· 2:00 p.m. MLB/Twins All-Star Park at Gilbert de la O Fields Renovation Unveiling (St. Paul, MN)
· 5:00 p.m. MLB/Twins All-Star Field at Lee Park Renovation Unveiling (Robbinsdale, MN)
· 7:30 p.m. Sid Hartman All-Star Field at Northeast Park Renovation Unveiling (Minneapolis, MN)
o Additionally, this event will serve as the Opening Ceremonies of the All-Star Jr. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Classic
Friday, July 11th
· 10:00 a.m. Kirby Puckett Eye Mobile Dedication (Minneapolis Convention Center)
· 12:00 p.m. Starlight Fun Center Mobile Entertainment Unit Donation (Childrens Hospital of Minnesota; St. Paul, MN)
· 1:00 p.m. Kids Against Hunger/Jr. RBI Classic Volunteer Event (Concordia University, St. Paul, MN)
· 3:30 p.m. Challenger-Miracle League Game (Target Field, Minneapolis, MN)
· 6:00 p.m. Rod Carew All-Star Field at Xcel Energy Field Renovation Unveiling (Minneapolis, MN)
Saturday, July 12th
· 10:30 a.m. Ronald McDonald House Renovation Unveiling & House Tours (Minneapolis, MN)
· 1:00 p.m. TeamSmile Dental Screening Event, supported by Arm & Hammer (Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities East Side Club; St. Paul, MN)
Sunday, July 13th
· 8:00 a.m. The Color Run MLB All-Star 5K presented by Nike (Minnesota State Fairgrounds; Falcon Heights, MN)
· 1:00 p.m. Trout Brook Sanctuary Nature Preserve & Trails Ceremony (St. Paul, MN)
Monday, July 14th
· 12:00 p.m. Jerry Gamble Boys & Girls Club Activity Room Unveiling (Minneapolis, MN)
Tuesday, July 15th
· 10:30 a.m. CommonBond Veterans Housing Advantage Services Center Dedication (Upper Post-Ft. Snelling)
· 3:00 p.m. Starkey Hearing Foundation Fittings (Eden Prairie, MN)
Additional Activities
· MLB and Church & Dwight, maker of Arm & Hammer and OxiClean brands and an official sponsor of Major League Baseball, will honor one of this years Breaking Barriers Essay Contest grand prize winners, Raymond Beasley V, a fifth grader from Brentwood, CA, whose winning essay was chosen from nearly 19,000 entries from across the country and Canada. Church & Dwight is a supporter of the Breaking Barriers program, contributing $150,000 annually through 2016.
· MLB will host six Make-A-Wish children with life-threatening medical conditions whose wish is to attend the MLB All-Star Game. A reception for the young people and their families is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, June 12th at the Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis.
· MLB will partner with TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) Coalition to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior through a T-Mobile All-Star FanFest attraction and designated driver recognition during the MLB All-Star Game.
o Anheuser-Busch, celebrating their 32nd anniversary of promoting alcohol responsibility, will support this effort through their Budweiser Good Sport program. The program will be highlighted throughout Target Field and the MLB All-Star Summer Pepsi Block Party with kiosks reminding fans to drink responsibly. In MLB ballparks in 2013, a record of more than 511,000 baseball fans pledged to be designated drivers.
The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15th. The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB Internationals independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and Sirius XM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.
About the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 85th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 15th in Minneapolis and will feature the best of the American League taking on the top players of the National League. Building up to the excitement of the All-Star Game, Major League Baseball will conduct a wide variety of special events and charitable activities for fans both inside and outside of Target Field. At the ballpark, the events will include Taco Bell All-Star Sunday on July 13th featuring the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, and Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 14th featuring the Gillette Home Run Derby on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio. Outside of the ballpark, fans will have an opportunity to experience All-Star Summer through a variety of special events including T-Mobile All-Star FanFest, the five-day interactive fan festival; and the MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Chevrolet, a free parade of All-Stars. The Midsummer Classic will be televised nationally on FOX, broadcast on ESPN Radio and will be shown around the world by Major League Baseball International. For more information about 2014 All-Star Summer, visit AllStarGame.com.
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Contact: Matt Bourne or Steven Arocho, Major League Baseball, (212) 931-7878, @MLB_PR
Kevin Smith or Chris Iles, Minnesota Twins, (612) 659-3400, @Twins