In an open letter read to fans in a video on the team’s social media platforms, the Pulaski Yankees introduced Calfee Cares, a new community-relations plan for 2019 and beyond.
Calfee Cares is an organizational mission through which the Pulaski Yankees are making it a priority to find and create opportunities to give back to the fans and businesses in Pulaski and the New River Valley who help support the organization and ballpark.
Here is the full text of the letter from Pulaski Yankees General Manager Betsy Haugh:
“As we approach the 2019 season, we wanted to take a few minutes to share a message with our fans. At the Pulaski Yankees, we are dedicated to providing a fun, safe ballpark experience for all fans; establishing meaningful relationships with our corporate partners; and giving back to our community.
Over the past few months, you may have seen press releases or social media posts introducing our Pinstripe Pals Kids Club presented by the Community Health Center of the New River Valley, inviting fans to participate in the first-ever Pulaski Yankees 5K and Ballpark Play Day presented by Shelor Toyota, offering local non-profits the opportunity to be our featured Community Organization of the Night thanks to the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, and announcing a new partnership with Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society.
These items are each part of a larger initiative your Pulaski Yankees front office staff has spent months developing in the 2018-19 offseason – Calfee Cares, a new community relations plan for the 2019 season and beyond. We are fortunate to be a part of a great community here in the Town of Pulaski and throughout Pulaski County and the New River Valley, and we are making it a priority to find and create opportunities to give back to the fans and businesses who help support our organization and ballpark.
Calfee Cares is an organizational mission that includes front office staff, game day staff, our players, and, of course, our mascot. Throughout the 2019 season, you’ll find Pulaski Yankees players at various community appearances – a minimum of one per homestand.
Our front office staff and 2019 interns will be participating in a build with Habitat for Humanity. Calf-E will be at The Marketplace, youth baseball games, parades, festivals, and maybe even your favorite restaurant. 22 of our 34 home games feature promotions that tie into a community effort. So far in 2019, we’ve donated over $4,000 in tickets and prizes for local community fundraisers and we’ll continue to raise funds for local organizations through three jersey auctions during the 2019 season. Thanks to our friends at Virginia Eagle and Devil’s Backbone, we’ll soon announce details about a program that will donate $50 for each Pulaski Yankees home run hit at Calfee Park this season to the Friends of Claytor Lake to help with lake cleanup efforts. We’ll also share more details on how we’ve partnered with Gay and Neel, Inc. to revamp our HOPE (Helping Others Persevere and Excel) Week as we again join the New York Yankees and their Minor League affiliates in this annual community initiative. And there’s still more to come.
We invite you to join us this season as we embrace Calfee Cares and continue to give back to our great community. Whether it’s by running in the 5K, signing your child up for the Kids Club, bidding on a specialty jersey, donating a toy on Christmas in July, or rounding your concessions purchase up to the nearest dollar through Calfee’s Checkout Charity, every effort helps make our community an even better place to live. Every time you come to a Pulaski Yankees’ game, know that you are taking part in a bigger effort to better Pulaski and the New River Valley. We look forward to seeing you at Calfee Park and in the community this summer.” — Pulaski Yankees