Affeldt lends hand to Motte's campaign vs. cancer
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Left-hander Jeremy Affeldt, who energetically champions numerous charitable causes, has become the Giants' ambassador for a "Strike Out Cancer" initiative launched by Cardinals reliever Jason Motte.
Motte and the Major League Baseball Players Association have recruited a member of each team to distribute T-shirts, emblazoned with a backward "K" above the word "cancer." Several Giants have begun wearing the shirts, which the public can obtain on the 108 Stitches website.
From each Giants shirt sold, $5 will be donated to the organization of Affeldt's choice, which was Lazarex Cancer Foundation of Danville, Calif. Motte's foundation also receives $5 per shirt.
Lazarex assists cancer patients who have been told they have no hope left by providing assistance regarding clinical trials. The company helps pay for participation in the trials or informs the patient what options might be available.
"They do some good work, man," Affeldt said of Lazarex. "What they do is really, really awesome. I'm excited to be a part of it."
The website 108stitches.com went live on March 17, with 108 Stitches showcasing the "Strike Out Cancer" tees in each team's colors. Each is promoted by a different player who agreed to join Motte in a partnership that will benefit multiple charities. Each participating player has chosen a charity that will benefit from the T-shirts sales, and for each shirt sold, $5 will go to the Jason Motte Foundation and $5 to a charity of that player's choice. A full list of recipient charities will be listed on the 108 Stitches website soon, along with a photo of each player rep in his team-colored shirt.
"At the end of the day, it's about reaching people," Motte said. "Baseball is great and everything, but there are other really important things going on out there that affect a lot of people. Wearing these T-shirts shows people that they're not alone. They're not sitting there doing chemo by themselves where no one cares. People do care, whether it's friends, family or baseball players. There are people who this has touched and this has affected. This is something we're trying to do to get the word out there and try to raise money to help."