MLB and the Minnesota Twins Announce 2014 All-Star Week Community Schedule

Major League Baseball and the Minnesota Twins today announced the 2014 All-Star Week community event schedule, which consists of projects that will be unveiled throughout MLB All-Star Week, from Wednesday, July 9^th through Tuesday, July 15^th - the day of the 85^th MLB All-Star Game at Target Field. These projects will commemorate the most extensive community legacy effort in Midsummer Classic history.

MLB and the Twins will donate more than $8 million, through MLB Charities, the Minnesota Twins, the Twins Community Fund and the Pohlad Family Foundation, toward these All-Star projects and in support of national charitable initiatives, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, National Recreation and Park Association, Stand Up to Cancer, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Starlight Children's Foundation, the Starkey Hearing Foundation and Susan G. Komen, among others. A portion of the funds will be raised from Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 14^th. Since 1997, MLB has donated more than $65 million in All-Star charitable contributions.

As a complement to the Midsummer celebration of Baseball and the Minnesota Twins, the events and initiatives will seek to impact the lives of local veterans and underserved and special needs youth, place a focus on improving the health and well-being of local citizens, support cancer research, and highlight the importance of safety and environmental consciousness.

The effort includes renovation projects throughout the Twin Cities and "Twins Territory," including an activity room at a local Boys & Girls Club, a services center for homeless veterans, five youth baseball fields and a nature sanctuary within the heart of St. Paul; a mobile eye clinic for un- or under-insured children and adults throughout Minnesota; a color run at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds; and donations for various health-related initiatives during All-Star Week. A variety of Twins legends will participate in community events throughout All-Star Week including Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek, Tom Kelly, Tony Oliva, Frank Viola, and more. Bank of America, Church & Dwight and Scotts are among the MLB sponsors supporting various elements of this All-Star community effort. 

Below is a brief, chronological schedule of the All-Star Week Community Activities. (NOTE: ATTACHED are two documents, one containing descriptions for each of the below projects, and the other, a color chart laying out the schedule on one page):

Wednesday, July 9^th

• 6:00 p.m. - Kevin Thoresen All-Star Miracle League Field Unveiling (Hibbing, MN)

Thursday, July 10^th

• 2:00 p.m. - MLB/Twins All-Star Park at Gilbert de la O Fields Renovation Unveiling (St. Paul, MN)
• 5:00 p.m. - MLB/Twins All-Star Field at Lee Park Renovation Unveiling (Robbinsdale, MN)
• 7:30 p.m. - Sid Hartman All-Star Field at Northeast Park Renovation Unveiling (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Additionally, this event will serve as the Opening Ceremonies of the All-Star Jr. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Classic

Friday, July 11^th

• 10:00 a.m. - Kirby Puckett Eye Mobile Dedication (Minneapolis Convention Center)
• 12:00 p.m. - Starlight Fun Center Mobile Entertainment Unit Donation (Children's Hospital of Minnesota; St. Paul, MN)
• 1:00 p.m. - Kids Against Hunger/Jr. RBI Classic Volunteer Event (Concordia University, St. Paul, MN)
• 3:30 p.m. - Challenger-Miracle League Game (Target Field, Minneapolis, MN)
• 6:00 p.m. - Rod Carew All-Star Field at Xcel Energy Field Renovation Unveiling (Minneapolis, MN)

Saturday, July 12^th

• 10:30 a.m. - Ronald McDonald House Renovation Unveiling & House Tours (Minneapolis, MN)
• 1:00 p.m. - TeamSmile Dental Screening Event, supported by Arm & Hammer (Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities - East Side Club; St. Paul, MN)

Sunday, July 13^th

• 8:00 a.m. - The Color Run MLB All-Star 5K presented by Nike (Minnesota State Fairgrounds; Falcon Heights, MN)
• 1:00 p.m. - Trout Brook Sanctuary Nature Preserve & Trails Ceremony (St. Paul, MN)

Monday, July 14^th

• 12:00 p.m. - Jerry Gamble Boys & Girls Club Activity Room Unveiling (Minneapolis, MN)

Tuesday, July 15^th

• 10:30 a.m. - CommonBond Veterans Housing Advantage Services Center Dedication (Upper Post-Ft. Snelling)
• 3:00 p.m. - Starkey Hearing Foundation Fittings (Eden Prairie, MN)

Additional Activities

• MLB and Church & Dwight, maker of Arm & Hammer and OxiClean brands and an official sponsor of Major League Baseball, will honor one of this year's Breaking Barriers Essay Contest grand prize winners, Raymond Beasley V, a fifth grader from Brentwood, CA, whose winning essay was chosen from nearly 19,000 entries from across the country and Canada. Church & Dwight is a supporter of the Breaking Barriers program, contributing $150,000 annually through 2016.
• MLB will host six Make-A-Wish children with life-threatening medical conditions whose wish is to attend the MLB All-Star Game. A reception for the young people and their families is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, June 12^th at the Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis.
• MLB will partner with TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) Coalition to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior through a T-Mobile All-Star FanFest attraction and designated driver recognition during the MLB All-Star Game.
  • Anheuser-Busch, celebrating their 32^nd anniversary of promoting alcohol responsibility, will support this effort through their Budweiser Good Sport program. The program will be highlighted throughout Target Field and the MLB All-Star Summer Pepsi Block Party with kiosks reminding fans to drink responsibly. In MLB ballparks in 2013, a record of more than 511,000 baseball fans pledged to be designated drivers.

The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15^th. The 85^th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and Sirius XM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.