by Royals Media Relations
The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals have announced that their upcoming three-game series, set for June 17-19 at Busch Stadium, will be dedicated to Joplin tornado victims and will feature a number of fundraisers and awareness efforts dedicated to Joplin relief. In partnership with Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, both clubs will wear a special commemorative “Teams Unite for Joplin” jersey patch during each game of the weekend series.
“It is exciting that our two professional baseball franchises, two of the most prominent and visible organizations in our state, are stepping up to the plate to bolster our Joplin relief efforts,” said Missouri Governor Jay Nixon during his visit to Joplin earlier this week.
“We are proud to partner with the St. Louis Cardinals and other Missouri sports franchises in order to offer as much assistance as possible as we help to rebuild this very proud community,” said Royals President Dan Glass.
The Royals and Cardinals have a number of awareness campaigns and fundraising efforts planned for the series, including:
Commemorative Patch: Fans may help support the Joplin relief effort by purchasing the special “Teams Unite for Joplin” commemorative patch (graphic attached) at Kauffman Stadium. The patch will be available for $10 beginning Tuesday, June 21 with all proceeds going toward Joplin relief efforts.
“Teams Unite for Joplin” Items Featured in Online Auction: In addition, Royals Charities will host a special online auction featuring commemorative “Teams Unite for Joplin” game-used items from the Royals-Cardinals series. The auction, which will include game-used bases, home plate and lineup cards with the commemorative logo signed by select Royals and Cardinals players, will open on Thursday, June 16 at www.royals.com/joplin. The club will also sell a limited number of commemorative “Teams Unite for Joplin” logo baseballs signed by select Royals. The auction will close on Sunday, June 26 with all proceeds benefiting Royals Charities disaster relief efforts.
Joplin Jersey Hand-Off Fundraiser: The Royals will also host a Joplin Jersey Hand-Off fundraiser on Saturday, June 25, giving fans to opportunity to win one of the autographed “Teams Unite for Joplin” jerseys from a Royals player. During the event, volunteers will sell $1 instant-win scratch tickets with proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross and Royals Charities disaster relief efforts. Following the club’s 6:10 p.m. game against the Chicago Cubs, winners will be escorted to the field where Royals players and coaches will award the jerseys they wore during the Royals-Cardinals series. Fans can bid on the opportunity to secure a spot on the field at www.royals.com/joplin. Please note that this auction item will close on Monday, June 20.
In response to the devastating tornado that ripped through Joplin on May 22, Royals Charities made a $25,000 donation to Heart to Heart International for its relief efforts and made a goodwill trip to the city in conjunction with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the club’s Double-A affiliate in Springdale, Ark., on June 6. In addition, Royals fans generously contributed more than $18,000 during an in-stadium collection that will benefit the American Red Cross relief efforts.
Fans are encouraged to visit www.royals.com/joplin for more details on the club’s disaster relief efforts and to learn about how they can help.