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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the tragic passing of humanitarian and Pirates great, Roberto Clemente. To celebrate Clemente's legacy, teams across MLB nominate one player from each club for the Roberto Clemente Award. This annual recognition is given to one Major League player who exemplifies the legacy of Clemente through their philanthropic efforts and community involvement. This year, the Pirates nominated Pittsburgh native David Bednar for the award. "David being named our Clemente Award nominee has extra special meaning," said Pirates Chairman, Bob Nutting. "Since the day we acquired David in 2021, he expressed a true desire to partner with Pirates Charities to help make a real impact in his hometown. I am very proud of David and how he represents our commitment to make a difference in the lives of others in our community. It is a deep part of who we are as an organization and what Pirates Charities is all about."
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As a tribute to Roberto Clemente's humanitarian legacy, more than 70 employees from the Pirates front office came together with corporate partner FedEx and spent September 15, Clemente Day, carrying out five service projects throughout the Pittsburgh Community. Each of the four Pirates Charities pillars, youth baseball and softball, cancer support, military appreciation, and mental health, were represented with a project, in addition to a fifth project supporting Pittsburgh's Latino Community Center in honor of the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.
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On September 2, the Pirates and Pirates Charities honored those in our region affected by cancer during a special Cancer Support Night. Various pregame recognition ceremonies took place with cancer survivors, cancer patients and six local organizations who are leading the fight against cancer: Lending Hearts, PANCan, Glimmer of Hope, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, ZERO – the End of Prostate Cancer and the AHN Cancer Institute. The Pirates also recognized survivors in attendance during the 4th inning and all fans participated in a Stand Up to Cancer moment prior to the 7th-inning stretch.
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To help further our 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 hosted Sophia, a young girl currently undergoing treatment for a rare form of leukemia. Sophia was invited to be an honorary member of the Pirates 2022 team photo. Following the team photo, she played catch with Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller and received a special visit from the Pirate Parrot. Sophia and her entire family ended the special visit by enjoying the game from the Home Plate Club. Pirates Charities will keep working with Lending Hearts to provide these memorable moments for kids and their families who are affected by cancer.
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Jackson "Jax" Ramirez is fighting a rare auto-immune disease and is in need of a bone marrow transplant, but due to his biracial background (Hispanic and White), finding a match has been difficult. Where most people are supplied with pages of potential matches, Jax has not had ONE and his family is desperate to find him a match. To support Jax and the Ramirez family, we hosted a swabbing event at PNC Park in partnership with Be the Match during the Pirates game on September 23. If you are interested in supporting the Ramirez family by joining the registry, you can sign up below to have a swabbing kit mailed to you and to join the registry from the comfort of your own home.
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The Pirates continued their celebration of their 2022 Military Monday program this month by honoring Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs on September 26. Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs received a $10,000 donation from Pirates Charities, threw out a first pitch and enjoyed the game from the Pirates Charities suite. Earlier this season, the Pirates and PNC came together with this life-saving organization to sponsor service dog in training, Bucco, who will be paired with a veteran in need once his training is complete. Bucco was also in attendance at the game to join the Pirates final Military Monday of the season. In addition, the Pirates worked with national grief assistance program, TAPS, to honor members of the West family, who lost a loved one in the line of duty, while players and coaches wore special camo-inspired uniforms to show their support for all of the servicemen and women in our armed forces.
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On September 9, the Pittsburgh Pirates honored Pittsburgh's rich Negro League Baseball history by wearing Pittsburgh Crawford Jerseys as they took the field. These game-worn and authenticated jerseys will be available for bidding on October 3 through October 6 at 5 p.m. ET. Net proceeds from this auction will benefit Pirates Charities and The Josh Gibson Foundation, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit whose mission is to ensure the legacy of Negro League great Josh Gibson is remembered, while providing opportunities that will improve the lives of local youth. Save the date for your chance to bid on these game worn jerseys and support two charities who work to honor Pittsburgh's rich baseball history.
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