See Part 1
See Part 2
• RELIEF UPDATES •
August 05, 2008 — Hi folks! Jonathan Mayo, reporter for MiLB.com, has been working his you-know-what-off on behalf of Midwest Flood Relief Efforts—from promoting, to organizing fund-raising, to turning wheels behind the scenes. His latest effort is a Charity Auction that ends on August 6th at 4pm EDT. Some nice items up for auction include memorabilia from a couple of ex-Buzz players.
Let’s help him, to help Cedar Rapids. PLEASE get the word out to as many people as possible!
August 5th, 2008
See Part 1
• RELIEF UPDATES •
Seems important to acknowledge the athletes and sports organizations who have pitched in to help out the people of Iowa. Here is what I found:
July 08, 2008 — The Omaha Royals donate $2,600 from ticket sales to Iowa flood relief funds.
July 05, 2008 — The West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx donate a portion of ticket sales to the MiLB.com Iowa Relief Fund.
July 04, 2008 — The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes raise $1,300 for the Cedar Rapids Relief fund.
July 03, 2008 — Cedar Rapids native Zach Johnson organizing a relief fund through the PGA.
July 02, 2008 — The LPGA donates $7,000 to Cedar Rapids relief efforts.
July 01, 2008 — The NHL Anaheim Ducks donate $20,000 to Iowa relief efforts.
July 01, 2008 — The Cedar Rapids Kernels report the collection of nearly six tons of food.
June 30, 2008 — Former Minnesota Vikings running back Chuck Foreman organizes an autograph session/memorabilia sale for Iowa relief funds.
June 29, 2008 — The Beloit Snappers donate a portion of ticket sales to the MiLB.com Iowa Relief Fund.
June 29, 2008 — The Baltimore Colts tight end Dallas Clark signs autographs for the Iowa Relief Fund.
June 29, 2008 — Members of the University of Iowa Football team lend manpower to Iowa City Salvation Army volunteers.
June 27, 2008 — Washington Nationals relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan organizes an Iowa Relief Fundraiser.
June 27, 2008 — Roger Dean Stadium of the Florida State League donates a portion of ticket sales to the MiLB.com Iowa Relief Fund.
June 26, 2008 — Listing of funds raised thus far for Iowa flood recovery.
June 26, 2008 — Minnesota Twins and Twins Wives Organization put together the Hang with the Majors at Majors fundraiser
June 26, 2008 — MiLB.com donates $50,000 to the four Iowa cities hit hardest by recent flooding: Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Davenport (Quad Cities) and Des Moines.
June 25, 2008 — Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong joins Iowa flood relief fundraising efforts.
June 25, 2008 — Angels pitching prospect Trevor Bell writes a check for $2,500 before leaving Cedar Rapids.
June 24, 2008 — The Minnesota Twins raise $40,570 from their “Send it South—Red Cross Radio Relief” event.
June 23, 2008 — Riley Park, home field of the Charleston River Dogs, volunteers to serve as a donations drop-off station.
June 20, 2008 — San Diego Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding participates in a fundraiser for Iowa flood recovery.
June 19, 2008 — OK, so he’s not a sports figure, but he’s helping—Jay Leno puts together a Las Vegas fundraiser for Iowa flood recovery.
June 19, 2008 — The Iowa Speedway Foundation has formed the Race2Recovery fund to raise money during the 2008 season.
June 18, 2008 — The New Orleans Zephyrs are collecting donations for the Des Moines Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
June 18, 2008 — Indianapolis 500 winners, Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon, donate their winnings to Iowa relief efforts.
June 18, 2008 — The Indianapolis Racing League donates $60,000 to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
June 17, 2008 — The Chicago Cubs join the McCormick Foundation fund-matching campaign for Midwest Flood Relief.
June 16, 2008 — The Big Ten Network donates 100% of online sales during June 16-30 to the University of Iowa flood relief.
June 14, 2008 — Visiting NCAA Track and Field athletes lend a hand in Des Moines, IA.
July 9th, 2008
See Part 2
• RELIEF FUND UPDATE •
June 26, 2008 — MiLB.com has stepped up and contributed to relief efforts by donating $50,000 to the four Iowa cities hit hardest by recent flooding: Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Davenport (Quad Cities) and Des Moines. Thank you, Minor League Baseball and a very special thanks to Jonathan Mayo for helping to make this happen. You da’ man!
• RELIEF FUND UPDATE •
June 26, 2008 — A local relief fund has been established to aid the flood victims in Cedar Rapids. I will leave the original links to the Red Cross and United Way on the blog, however I would like to encourage readers to send a check to the local fund, which directly assists the Cedar Rapids community.
Please make your checks payable to “Kernels Foundation Flood Relief” and mail them to:
Kernels Foundation Flood Relief
PO Box 2001
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
June 18, 2008 — This week, all eyes are on Cedar Rapids, IA. That is what I wish, however it seems not to be the case. FutureAngels.com has been posting news of the catastrophic floods prior to evacuation of the city. Today’s update noted that after making a scan of Angels’ fansites, not a single one of them made any mention of the worst flooding in Iowa history. Hardest hit of all was Cedar Rapids, home to the Cedar Rapids Kernels Single-A affiliate of the LA Angels, where the crest of the floodwaters exceeded the previous high by 12 feet (recorded in 1929).
Likewise at MiLB.com, Jonathan Mayo expressed disappointment over the apparent lack of interest by minor-league baseball in general. The worst of the flooding occurred right in the midst of the Midwest League Double-A All-Star break, and yet he noted:
. . .there wasn’t at least a moment taken over the course of the All-Star Game celebration here to reflect on what’s befallen some of the Midwest League’s communities. That would have been, of course, simply a gesture. What happens going forward, as the waters recede and the 25,000 people in Cedar Rapids who’ve been homeless since Friday try to reclaim their lives, will be more important. [source: "Perspective: Iowa floods hit close to home," Jonathan Mayo, www.MiLB.com, 18JUN08]
Perhaps this is one of those sad cases of people being bombarded by too much bad news on a daily basis to care about a town located thousands of miles away. Or perhaps it’s a case of secretly thinking, “I’ve got my own problems too.” Or even, “Thank goodness it didn’t happen here.”
Who knows? All I know is what rattles around in my cranium as I read the latest update on our baseball brethren in the Corn/Beef/Bible Belt. I’ll readily admit that the Kernels don’t come to mind much during the good times (sorry fellas!). I don’t read draft picks or scouting reports. I don’t keep on the lookout for the next Garrett Anderson, Howie Kendrick or John Lackey. Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to any of our younger farm-system guys until they magically appear at Franklin Covey Field as nearly-Major Leaguers. I’m Triple-A spoiled that way.
When I think of the disaster that has befallen Cedar Rapids, I’m not really thinking of Veteran’s Stadium, Manager Keith Johnson or any particular Kernels ballplayer. (Well, except for my favorite backstop. How’s the skull, BTW?) Rather, my heart goes out to the Cedar Rapids Kernels’ host families who make up the “community of baseball.”
Just as it takes a village to raise a child, so too does it take many helping hands to foster a young athlete from Rookie Ball to The Show. Host families are among the first to join the barn-raising efforts that go towards building a young ballplayer’s career. The Cedar Rapids Kernels is the next-to-lowest rung on the player development ladder for the Angels organization. (The only lower-level team is the Rookie-A/Short-Season-A Orem Owlz.) So we’re talking about a lot of high-school draft picks, teenagers, being sent out on their own for the first time in their lives. Moving to a strange town with no friends or family, figuring out how to budget your per diem, AND learning to hit .300 (or throw 85mph strikes) is asking a lot of a kid who was only licensed to drive two or three years ago. If they’ve been recruited from another country, such as the Dominican Republic, Latin America or Australia, the change in scenery can be even more disconcerting.
These host families (follow link and scroll down to May 16, 2008) provide a homebase-away-from-home for many of these kids, helping them ease into their new profession/language/lifestyle. Host families volunteer to house ballplayers in something like a foreign student exchange program—they house, feed and transport one or more ballplayers for the entire season, absorbing all costs of their stay. Although this financial aid is a big part of the host family’s contribution, their spiritual and emotional support is even more valuable. Year after year, host families welcome these young ballplayers with open arms and warm hearts.
As the players progress up the ladder (hopefully), most of them will never return to these Single-A towns ever again. While not exactly forgotten, it would be naïve to think that every Major Leaguer still remembers to send a Christmas card to their host parents. And yet, many, many everyday MLB players got their start in organized baseball under the nurturing wings of one of these incredible families.
There’s no September call-up for minor-league host families. They are the ones left waving in the rearview mirror every year. They do it for the love of the game and out of compassion for their boys. A few lucky parents manage to stay in touch with a favorite or two, and perhaps even watch their MLB debut in person. More likely though, the demands of time and distance slowly replace the old “family ties” with new ones. Experienced host families understand how the system works, and most are content with a precious collection of photos, memories and keepsakes from the good times spent together.
Except now, the families in Cedar Rapids have lost everything but the memories. As I read the latest report in The Gazette, I imagine dozens of photos, letters and cards floating down the Cedar River and washed out to sea. These are the visions that swirl and dance before my mind’s eye. And these are the baseball people who occupy my thoughts. Bye for now!
Donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund
or
Donate to the United Way of East Central Iowa
June 18th, 2008
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