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On July 30, Pirates Charities hosted a Miracle League Fantasy Camp in Cranberry, PA. Athletes from all eight Miracle Leagues in the Pittsburgh region participated in this station-style clinic, with Pirates players, coaches and front office staff. As athletes arrived, they received a custom Pirates jersey with their name on the back, a Pirates hat and various other goodies. Each athlete had their name announced during the opening ceremonies and then rotated through four stations: hitting, pitching, fielding and base running. Pirates players and coaching staff gave athletes pointers at each station. "The biggest impact that The Pirates have, is they let everybody play," said Mike Magulick, President of Miracle League of Moon Township.
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On Monday, August 1, more than 125 golfers came together to support Pirates Charities annual golf outing. This year's event was held at Fox Chapel Golf Club and helped Pirates Charities raise important funds to continue their work in our community. Pirates players J.T. Brubaker, Wil Crowe, Chase DeJong, Kevin Newman and Mitch Keller joined Pirates Game Planning and Strategy Coach Ryan Haddad and alumni Steve Blass, Sid Bream, Chris Peters, Neil Walker, John Wehner and Kevin Young for a day on the course with the golfers. Pirates broadcaster Greg Brown was on-hand to emcee this year's event and Pittsburgh artist Cody Sabol entertained the crowd during a post-golf cocktail reception with a live painting that was later auctioned off to a lucky winner.
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In 1972, Josh Gibson became only the second Negro League player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Gibson, who was born in Buena Vista, GA, moved to Pittsburgh with his family when he was 12 and went on to play for both of Pittsburgh's Negro League baseball teams – the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords. Baseball historians consider Gibson among the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history, hitting close to 800 home runs over his career. To celebrate Gibson's legacy and the 50th anniversary of his Hall of Fame induction, the Pirates partnered with the Josh Gibson Foundation to host Gibson's Hall of Fame plaque at PNC Park on August 3 and 4, giving fans the rare chance to see the plaque outside of its home in Cooperstown, NY. Additionally, the Pirates were proud to host the Gibson Foundation for a fundraising luncheon at PNC Park on August 5, where the Foundation honored a number of local community members for their work in making Pittsburgh a better place, including Mayor Ed Gainey and Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes.
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To help further its mission to impact those in our region affected by cancer, Pirates Charities has partnered with Lending Hearts, a local organization dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer patients and their families. With help from the Lending Hearts team, Pirates Charites has hosted two special young patients at the ballpark for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Earlier this month, we hosted 3-year-old Kayden, who is currently battling Leukemia, for a day of fun with Pirates pitcher David Bednar and just last week, 12-year-old Jimmy, who has been fighting an inoperable brain tumor his entire life, got to spend the day with Ke'Bryan Hayes. Both were given special tours of the Pirates locker room, hung out with Pirates Manager Derek Shelton and became best friends with the Pirate Parrot. Before enjoying the game from the Pirates Home Plate Club with their families, both boys received the honor of starting the game by yelling "Play Ball" ahead of the first pitch. Pirates Charities will continue to work with Lending Hearts to provide additional memorable moments for kids and their families affected by cancer.
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The Pirates were proud to once again support this year's PONY League World Series, held annually in Washington, PA, which brings teams in from all over the world to compete for the PONY League title. This year teams from Chinese-Taipei, London, Mexico and Puerto Rico battled teams from the four regions of the US in a series of competitive games over the course of six days, with Chinese-Taipei emerging as the 2022 Champions. The Pirates hosted "Pirates Night" at Lew Hays PONY Field on Friday, August 12, treating all fans to Pirates goodies, visits from the Pirate Parrot and Pierogies and in-game entertainment lead by Pirates in-game host Joe Klimchak. The Pirates also hosted various PONY World Series teams at the Pirates vs. Red Sox series, providing free tickets to the players and coaches to visit PNC Park while they were in town. For some, it was their first-ever Major League ballgame, providing lasting memories for these young athletes.
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On August 21, the Pirates hosted their second Youth Baseball and Softball Day to celebrate local youth athletes and coaches from our region. More than 2,000 kids and coaches enjoyed the special opportunity to participate as a team in an on-field, pregame parade ahead of the Pirates vs. Reds game. In addition, the Pirates recognized 14 local high school baseball and softball teams from our region who were crowned 2022 WPIAL or PIAA champions during a special pregame ceremony. The Pirates are proud to celebrate the growth of baseball and softball here in our region and thank all of our area coaches and parents who champion giving their kids the chance the play.
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On August 22, the Pirates Community Team joined Pittsburgh Public Schools, Mayor Ed Gainey, the Penguins, the Steelers and other local partners at the annual #PittsburghForPPS Back to School Event. This event served over 1,000 families by providing students with backpacks, school supplies, haircuts and manicures to help them prepare for the new school year. The Pirates were on-site to provide students with reusable water bottles and masks and hand out ticket vouchers to all families who participated, inviting them to attend a game at PNC Park later this season.
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The Pirates continued their celebration of their 2022 Military Monday program by highlighting Veteran's Breakfast Club, a local nonprofit dedicated to sharing and preserving veterans' stories. Representatives from Veteran's Breakfast Club were on-hand to receive a $10,000 donation from Pirates Charities, throw out a first pitch and enjoy the game from the Pirates Charities suite. In addition, the Pirates worked with national grief assistance program, TAPS, to honor members of the Hall family, who lost father and husband, United States Army Reserve Specialist Robert "Bob" E. Hall, Jr. in the line of duty. Players and coaches wore special camo-inspired uniforms.
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Join Wil and Hilary Crowe on September 25 at the Renaissance Hotel for a night of wine tasting as they come together with others in our community to raise money for the Allegheny Health Network Pediatric Institute. The evening also features a live and silent auction highlighted by game-used Pirates gear, premium Pirates game tickets, other local and national sports collectibles, wine lots, travel opportunities to wine country and more.
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