Finalists announced for the San Francisco Giants "All-star Teachers" program

Major League Baseball, Target Corp (NYSE: TGT) and PEOPLE today announced the 90 finalists in the "Target Presents PEOPLE All-Star Teachers" campaign, which celebrates remarkable current and retired teachers who make an impact on the lives of their students and communities. The three finalists for the San Francisco Giants include Kerri Baetkey, Tracy Ruiz and Robin Kunysz. Fans are encouraged to visit AllStarTeachers.com to vote on their favorite stories through June 29^th. 

One winner from each of the 30 MLB Clubs will be included in All-Star Week activities and recognized during the pre-game ceremony of the 2014 MLB All-Star Game on FOX. An "All-Star Teacher" winner will be featured in 'PEOPLE' during the week of the MLB All-Star Game.

Baetkey is an elementary school teacher from Kentfield, California, who uses her resources to advocate for multiple English Language Learning programs. Currently, Baetkey focuses on campaigning for ELL summer school and facilitating informational meetings for ELL families in order to ensure their recognition by the school system. Baetkey's fundraising efforts have resulted in a listening library and a briefcase program entitled, "You're the Boss," which allows students to borrow writing tools outside of the classroom.

Ruiz, from Vacaville, California, has been motivated by her students to take on multiple roles in addition to high school teacher. Ruiz became a camp counselor for children with heart disease after learning that one of her own students was born with a heart defect. During the holidays one year, Ruiz anonymously provided three underprivileged students with small gifts each day for 12 days. This led to Ruiz creating the Winter Wishes program, which brings students and staff together to make holiday wishes into reality for hundreds of people in her community.

Kunysz is a longtime life-skills teacher at a Salinas, California middle school. Her course topics range from everyday basics like cooking and sewing to more challenging subjects such as drug education, public speaking and resume writing. In addition to acting as advisor to the Associated Student Body and yearbook, Kunysz also encourages her students and their families to become involved with the community. Charities that have benefitted from Kunysz and her students' service include Free the Children and the Salvation Army. 

Target presents "PEOPLE All-Star Teachers" is just one part of Target, MLB and PEOPLE's effort to celebrate teachers and raise awareness about the importance of education this baseball season. MLB Legends have attended Target-hosted School Library Makeover events in MLB communities throughout the first half of the season including Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, Vinny Castilla, Ron Cey, Cliff Floyd, Luis Gonzalez, Tim Laudner, Gary Matthews, Tony Oliva, Harold Reynolds and Michael Young. Guests and fans can visit ABullsEyeView.com/Baseball for regular updates and behind-the-scenes access to campaign activities leading up to the All-Star Game.                           

About Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the longest running professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member Clubs in the U.S. and Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. Under the guidance of its ninth Commissioner, Allan H. (Bud) Selig, MLB has experienced dramatic changes including Interleague Play, the introduction of the Wild Cards, the new expanded Postseason format, the most comprehensive drug testing program in U.S. professional sports, an unprecedented era of labor peace, significant revenue sharing among the Clubs and growth in revenue from $1.2 billion in 1992 to more than $8 billion in 2013. The last ten years have produced the ten best-attended individual seasons in MLB history, including more than 74 million fans in 2013. With the continued success of MLB Network, MLB Advanced Media and the MLB Fan Cave, the National Pastime is consumed more often and in more ways than ever before. For more information on Major League Baseball, visit mlb.mlb.com.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,916 stores - 1,789 in the United States and 127 in Canada - and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information about Target's commitment to corporate responsibility, visit target.com/corporateresponsibility.

About PEOPLE

PEOPLE revolutionized personality journalism when it launched in 1974, and is now celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2014. Each week PEOPLE brings more than 53 million consumers the latest news, exclusive interviews, and in-depth reporting on the most compelling people of our time. In addition to unparalleled access to the entertainment community, the stories of real-life "Heroes Among Us" remain an essential component of PEOPLE's editorial approach. PEOPLE.com is the premier web destination for celebrity news, photos, style, and entertainment coverage. With reporters across the globe, PEOPLE is headquartered in New York City and is published by Time Inc. For more information visit www.PEOPLE.com.