Rays Community Highlights
Homestand 4.13–4.22
Friday, 4/13 — St. Petersburg College
On-Field Check Presentation for $5,000 donation
The Rays are proud to support the St. Petersburg College Foundation First Generation Scholarships. This gives students who might not otherwise have the chance to attend college with the opportunity to continue their educational aspirations.
Saturday, 4/14 — Legends for Youth Clinic
The Legends for Youth Clinic entails MLB Alumni and Orestes Destrade doing drills with our youth baseball/softball partners — Wildwood Rays and Burg Baseball. Kids from the Wildwood Rays and Burg Baseball, as part of 2,000 youth baseball/softball players, were given complimentary tickets to Sunday’s game.
Saturday, 4/14 — Hillsborough Education Foundation Rays Up Night
The Tampa Bay Rays have proudly supported Hillsborough Education Foundation for over 15 years! We recognized them with a donation of $50,000 to Hillsborough Education Foundation from the Rays Baseball Foundation.
In addition, we had them participate in a first pitch, honorary ball kid, play ball kid, and color guard.
The Rays Baseball Foundation has been proud to support the Take Stock in Children program in Hillsborough County, providing a two or four year college scholarship to students in need. The Tampa Bay Rays and Hillsborough Education Foundation recently teamed up to surprise over 950 Crestwood Elementary students and teachers with over 60 school supply boxes.
Overall, there were over 8,000 members of the Hillsborough Education system in attendance.
Sunday, 4/15 — Jackie Robinson Day — Poynter Institute’s Write Field
-In addition to the 2,000 youth baseball and softball players in attendance (mentioned above) we had the Poynter Institute’s Write Field program here Sunday — Write Field is a dynamic program designed to improve the academic performance and life skills of selected middle school boys. The Write Field students interviewed Mallex Smith and will work with the teachers from Poynter to write about their experience. The program funded by the Tampa Bay Rays is in its sixth year with students meeting every Saturday during the school year. The Rays Baseball Foundation has contributed over $60,000 to the Write Field program
Sunday, 4/15 — Dog Day presented by Tito’s Handmake Vodka, Vodka for Dog People
Pet Pal Animal Shelter was in attendance, along with SPCA Tampa Bay.
Tito’s plinko game donations benefited both rescue organizations!
Monday, April 16 — Don Zimmer Memorial Scholarship
The Rays Baseball Foundation and Clearwater for Youth partner to present the Don Zimmer Memorial Scholarship, given to a high school senior who demonstrates the leadership and strong character of Don Zimmer.
This year’s recipient was Alex Kurelman! Alex was presented with a $5,000 check during pregame ceremonies.
Tuesday, April 17th — Tuesday’s Champion
Tuesday, April 17th — Academy Prep Centers of Tampa & St. Petersburg
Academy Prep is a private, non-profit middle school serving students who qualify for need-based scholarships in St. Petersburg and Tampa.
The $17,000 scholarship gift to each campus (total $34,000 gift impacting Tampa and St. Pete) from the Rays Baseball Foundation directly supported those things most vital and unique to Academy Prep students’ education: their rigorous academic program and their daily enrichment activities.
The Rays Baseball Foundation has been proud to support Academy Prep for 20 years.
Friday, April 20th — Positive Coaching Alliance Triple Impact Competitor Scholarship Presentation
In 2014, the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning and Triad Foundation established Positive Coaching Alliance — Tampa Bay, a not-for-profit committed to ensuring that all student-athletes have a positive, character building sports experience.
PCA-Tampa Bay awards Triple — Impact Competitor® scholarships to high school student-athletes who demonstrate the leadership, character, sportsmanship and discipline required to:
- Make themselves better
- Make their teammates better
- And make the game as a whole better
Over 3,000 student-athletes from across the country applied for these scholarships, and from that pool of applicants, 25 winners were selected from the Tampa Bay area.
Sagicor Life Insurance Company and PCA-Tampa Bay are proud to award a total of $50,000 worth of scholarships to these student-athletes for demonstrating leadership, character, sportsmanship and discipline! Each of the 25 winners will receive a scholarship award in the amount of $2,000.
Saturday, April 21st — Span Fans
Rays outfielder Denard Span brings Span Fans, a Denard Span Foundation program, to his hometown of Tampa Bay. Once per month throughout the season, Denard Span hosts several children from single parent homes for a Rays game. The children, with their families, are treated to batting practice on the field and have the opportunity to meet with Denard to talk about their life, backgrounds, and any challenges they may be overcoming. The children also receive special Span Fans t-shirts and food to enjoy while at the game.
Sunday, April 22nd — Tampa Bay Watch
In correlation with Earth Day, the Tampa Bay Rays in partnership with Jabil are proud to support Tampa Bay Watch.
Because of the support from the Rays and Jabil Tampa Bay Watch was able to remove debris from shorelines in large-scale coastal cleanups, educate more students through our hands-on environmental education program, create oyster shell bars to help reduce shoreline erosion and improve water quality, and plant plugs of salt marsh to continue to restore acres of coastal tide ponds in Tampa Bay.
Follow @RaysCommunity on Twitter.
