In coordination with Major League Baseball, the White Sox announced breast cancer survivor and Oak Lawn resident Peggy Kupres as the 2016 Honorary Bat Girl, which recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and who demonstrate a commitment to eradicating the disease.
Kupres, a life-long White Sox fan who met her husband at Old Comiskey Park, has brought communities together by creating several "Pink" events and dedicating countless hours of support helping other cope with a cancer diagnosis. She will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Sunday, May 8, when the White Sox take on the Minnesota Twins at 1:10 p.m.
"The White Sox look forward to welcoming Peggy and nearly 50 family members to U.S. Cellular Field this Sunday," said Christine O'Reilly, White Sox vice president of community relations. "Peggy has turned her personal battle with breast cancer into an advocacy and support role for others battling the disease. We are excited to celebrate Peggy's continued efforts to help find a cure for breast cancer at the ballpark that holds a dear place in her heart."
The Honorary Bat Girl program was introduced in 2009 to raise additional awareness and support for the annual "Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer" initiative celebrated on Mother's Day. In eight years, thousands of unique testimonials have been submitted and more than 3 million fan votes have been cast. Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer is a Major League Baseball initiative supported by MLB charitable partners, Stand Up To Cancer and Susan G. Komen. This initiative raises awareness about the breast cancer cause, while also raising funds to support breast cancer research.
On Mother's Day, players and on-field personnel will wear the symbolic pink ribbon on their uniforms along with pink wristbands. Players also will wear specially-designed uniforms that incorporate pink into the clubs' regular logos. Commemorative base jewels and dugout lineup cards also will be pink. Games will feature a pink-stitched Rawlings baseball, the official ball of MLB, as the official game ball. Many MLB players also will use pink bats, and pink Louisville Slugger bats, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, will be stamped with the MLB breast cancer awareness logo. Many authenticated, game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats from Mother's Day games will be auctioned exclusively on MLB.com/auction to benefit the fight against breast cancer.