The Mud Hens have a longstanding history of contributing generously to local charities.
The team awards tens of thousands of dollars in grants to nonprofit organizations through its charitable fund each year, but the team’s contribution to the community does not end there.
Whether it be player appearances, ticket sale fundraisers or charity jersey auctions, the Mud Hens offer Toledo’s nonprofit organizations moral and financial support year-round.
The Helping Hens Charitable Fund, formed in 2005, is the minor league team’s official charitable fund and is administered through the Toledo Community Foundation.
The goal of the Helping Hens fund is to make a positive impact on the community, said Cheri Pastula, community relations manager for the Mud Hens.
“The Mud Hens are appreciative of all the support they’ve received from the community, so they try to give it back,” Pastula said.
Last season’s focus was on providing Toledo’s youth with opportunities to learn, play and love being a kid.
The Hens donated $30,000 in grants to seven local nonprofits that gave underprivileged children the chance to play sports or enjoy recreational services in a safe environment.
The Spina Bifida Association of Northwest Ohio was another nonprofit that received a grant, allowing the organization to send seven children with spina bifida to Camp Courageous, a summer camp in Whitehouse designed for children with special needs.
“We believe that a kid should have the common experience to go to summer camp,” the association’s executive director, Jennifer O’Brien said. “Children with spina bifida often have trouble relating to other people, so bringing all these kids together in camp and building those peer relationships is an important process. Without the help of the Mud Hens, we wouldn’t be able to send them.”
The Monroe Street Neighborhood Center also received a grant that helped keep the organization’s Open Gym Program available to area students.
The after-school program allows any student free access to the center’s full-court gym and computer lab. Students have the opportunity to play basketball or volleyball and receive help on homework from staff.
“Our main goal was to keep the doors open and to let the kids have a safe environment to go to after school,” the center’s executive director, Clara Petty said. “We were able to keep that program open with the grant we received from the Mud Hens.”
Other grant recipients were the Ballet Theatre of Toledo, the International Boxing Club, Judan Judo of Toledo, Central City Ministries of the Diocese of Toledo and the Lenawee County Education Foundation.
Muddy’s Knothole Club is another way the Mud Hens hope to leave a lasting
impact. Through this initiative, local businesses partner with the team to purchase game tickets for children, many of whom have never had the experience of attending a professional baseball game.
Through this partnership, the Knothole Club has helped thousands of kids from Northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan see America’s favorite pastime up close and personal.
“There are 72 baseball games in the season, from April to September,” Pastula said. “We feel we have so many opportunities during the baseball season to help the community more.”
Some games at the Fifth Third Field are designated to support local charities by allowing the organizations to sell marked-up tickets and keep the profits.
Charities are also welcome to help the staff during many of the silent and live auctions held at the ballpark. Fans can bid on sports memorabilia, such as game-worn jerseys, while the participating charities receive a portion of the proceeds.
Among this season’s scheduled charity benefit events are:
- July 20: Mud Hens players will wear pink jerseys during Pink
at the Park to support breast cancer awareness. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game. - Aug. 4: players will wear vintage “throwback” jerseys that will be auctioned during the game
- The popular Bat and Memorabilia Auction will be Aug. 25.
Charity volunteers are also able to work concession stations at Fifth Third Field to raise money for their favorite causes. Since 2002, the Mud Hens’ concession company has donated more than $1.6 million, or about $160,000 a year, to local nonprofits, according to a news release from the club.
Of the 38 nonprofits that volunteered last season, Kids World Gymnastics and Cheerleading raised the most, about $13,000.
Four groups raised between $7,000 and $9,000 and eight groups raised between $4,000 and $6,000.
“Mud Hens concessions has helped our cheerleaders get new uniforms, pom-poms and signs for both our special needs cheerleading squad and our competitive squads,” said Mike and lonna Meadows of Kids World Gymnastics and Cheerleading in a statement. “Along with competitions, travel and hotels, some of our parents would not be able to have their child compete in cheerleading or gymnastics without financial support.”
The arrangement is “a win-win situation,” said Corey Pleasant, food and beverage manager at Fifth Third Field. “We have a good core of groups that come back each year and it is a pleasure working with the different organizations and meeting so many people through this program,” Pleasant said in the release. “Fundraising efforts have helped groups purchase uniforms or equipment, as well as offsetting sports tuition fees for kids who wouldn’t be able to participate if it wasn’t for this program. It’s truly a win-win situation for all parties involved.”
To participate, groups must be nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal revenue Code and must operate for civic, charitable, religious and/or educational purposes.
For more information, visit the website www.mudhens.com under Team Info. To donate, call (419) 725-HENs (4367) or contact Cheri Pastula at cpastula@mudhens.com.
To learn more about working concessions, contact Corey Pleasant at fundraising@mudhens.com.
