Wild weekend for Things
Fans of the Washington Wild Things Frontier League baseball team are used to seeing red, black and white, but in back-to-back jersey nights this weekend, players were sporting camouflage on Friday and will be attired in teal today.
No, they’re not trying to engage in color confusion, but instead to promote worthy causes.
It’s unusual to have two promotions in two days, but sometimes “Things” just work out that way, said Christine Blaine, director of marketing and communications for the team. On a jersey-night game, the special shirts are auctioned off to benefit the designated organization.
Tonight’s 7:05 p.m. game at Consol Energy Park against the Gateway Grizzlies hopes, with teal jerseys that have been worn annually since 2013, to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. The deadliest of all gynecologic cancers, ovarian cancer accounts for about 15,000 deaths nationwide, a rate that changed little in the last 50 years.
Ovarian cancer is a significant issue for Randy Gore, Wild Things play-by-play radio announcer, because his wife, Kristen, is a survivor and his aunt succumbed to the disease.
The Washington County commissioners read a proclamation last week for September’s Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, noting one in 17 women will develop this disease.
“Randy, thanks so much for spearheading this ovarian cancer awareness night with the Wild Things,” said Megan Murphy, manager of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition chapter, the recipient of the promotion sponsored by UPMC. She also noted there is no test for early detection of ovarian cancer, but if treated early and confined to the ovary, the five-year survival rate is more than 90 percent.
Teal jersey night arrives on the heels of camo jerseys, which Wild Things players donned Friday in honor of the nonprofit Operation Troop Appreciation, based at Century III Mall in West Mifflin. The organization has, since 2004, served 140,000 deployed military members, working with military units to provide “wish list” items requested by troops in the field and sends letters of gratitude to units.
Operation Troop Appreciation works with men and women on active duty and in reserves and national guard. It also operates the “Welcome Home” support program for veterans and their families. Ventury Energy Solutions was corporate sponsor. The rockets’ red glare of fireworks ended military night for active and retired members at the ballpark.
The organization’s efforts were recognized soon after its start-up by former President George W. Bush.
Other jersey nights this year included American Heart Association and breast cancer awareness. Domestic violence awareness will be noted Aug. 29 with purple jerseys, and the National Kidney Foundation’s orange is slated to be added to next season’s lineup of special recognitions, Blaine said.