BALTIMORE -- The blue hats were in the Orioles' clubhouse on Saturday afternoon, blue socks draped over chairs in preparation for MLB-wide efforts to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer.
The Father's Day initiative includes players and on-field personnel wearing blue ribbons and special uniforms and caps. For the second consecutive year, MLB will donate all royalty payments from the sales of the caps and jerseys to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer. For the first time, players and on-field personnel are also wearing blue-infused attire and equipment throughout Father's Day weekend.
This year's efforts also includes the annual Prostate Cancer Foundation "Home Run Challenge," which has given fans the chance to make a one-time monetary donation or pledge for every home run hit by their favorite MLB Clubs during the time period of June 1 through Father's Day, all the while tracking where their team stacks up in a "Team vs. Team" competition.
Every dollar donated through the Home Run Challenge goes to PCF to fund critical research to defeat prostate cancer. As of June 15, more than $3 million had been pledged via the Home Run Challenge in 2017. Additionally, several efforts have been undertaken to raise awareness about prostate cancer and raise funds for research to fight the disease.