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Youth Clinics, Little League Days, and Safety Patrol Night headline homestand

The Orioles return home for a nine-game homestand that will include local community appearances, charitable initiatives, promotions, discounts, and special events at Oriole Park at Camden Yards beginning tonight at 7:05 p.m. against the Boston Red Sox. Highlighting the homestand are a variety of youth-oriented activities and initiatives, including two youth clinics, two Little League Days, the annual Safety Patrol Night, and the first Junior Orioles Dugout Club game of the season.

IN THE COMMUNITY

FORMER AND CURRENT ORIOLES TO VISIT FORT MEADE YOUTH CLINIC

Current Orioles pitchers BRAD BRACH and DARREN O'DAY and former Orioles outfielder AL BUMBRY will help teach the fundamentals of baseball to more than 100 Fort Meade Little Leaguers at the Fort Meade Youth Clinic on Saturday, May 2, from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Four stations throughout the clinic will highlight pitching, fielding, baserunning, and hitting. The Oriole Bird will make a special appearance and the Orioles will present each participant with an Orioles cap, bag, and necklace. ESSKAY will provide hot dogs, and the USO will provide beverages and snacks to all participants. The Orioles have also donated tickets to the participants for Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:05 p.m. Media interested in covering the event must contact the Fort Meade Public Affairs office at (301) 677-5592/1465 to RSVP.

CHRIS DAVIS VISIT TO CHRISTIAN YOUTH ATHLETICS

First baseman CHRIS DAVIS will visit with children from the Christian Youth Athletics program on Saturday, May 2. Davis will speak to the children and then will participate as the designated pitcher for the league's opening game. This event is not open to media or the public.

AT THE BALLPARK

FIRST PITCH CEREMONIES

University of Maryland basketball standout, DEZ WELLS, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to tonight's game against the Red Sox at 7:05 p.m. Wells, a shooting guard who helped lead Maryland to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years, was named First Team All-Big Ten in 2015. During the first inning, Wells will sign autographs on the Lower Concourse near Gate E.

On Saturday, April 25, Chef BRYAN VOLTAGGIO will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, prepare a special, signature dish, and sign copies of his new book, HOME: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends. Voltaggio will sign copies of HOME near Gate E and Home Plate Plaza from 7 to 7:45 p.m. and then begin preparing his specialty chili cheese hot dog with aerated cheddar and scallions at the "O What a Dog" concession stand on the third base concourse for $9. All proceeds will benefit No Kid Hungry's work to end childhood hunger in America. Voltaggio will be available for media interviews on the field at Oriole Park at 6:15 p.m. Media may RSVP to [email protected] or [email protected].

SAFETY PATROL NIGHT

The Orioles have donated a total of 10,000 tickets to safety patrol students throughout the state of Maryland and their families as part of two Safety Patrol Appreciation Nights this month. The first night was held on Saturday, April 11, and the second will be held on Saturday, April 25. This is the 61st year the club has supported the safety patrol program.

LITTLE LEAGUE DAYS

On Sunday, April 26, and Sunday, May 3, more than 10,000 pre-registered youth baseball players will participate in a pre-game parade around the warning track and be greeted by Orioles players as they walk by the dugout as part of the first two Little League Days of the season. Teams, dressed in their uniforms, will carry banners and wave to their family members as they round the field. The final Little League Day at the ballpark this season will take place on Sunday, May 31.

4 ALS DAY AT ORIOLE PARK

Continuing baseball's long-standing commitment to raising awareness of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, Major League Baseball and all 30 Clubs are once again teaming up "4 ALS." On Monday, April 27, the Orioles will welcome 50 members from the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins to Oriole Park. The Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins enables the world's best ALS scientists to collaborate and access funding so that they may continue work to rapidly develop new treatments and find a cure for ALS. ANDY NELSON will be representing the Robert Packard Center by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game against the Chicago White Sox at 7:05 p.m. Andy was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, and since then the Nelson family along with friends have formed "Team Nelly," raising more than $150,000 for ALS Research through their participation in the Fiesta 5K for ALS Research to benefit the Packard Center. For additional information on ALS awareness and ways to help those suffering from ALS, fans can visit the Community Booth by Gate D or visit www.alscenter.org.

PLAY SUN SMART DAY

On Sunday, May 3, MITCHELL SCHAPPELL and RYLYE DONAHUE, two youth baseball players from the Severna Park Green Hornets, will deliver 50 bottles of sunscreen to both the visitors' and Orioles' dugouts prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:35 p.m. They will be escorted to each dugout with Orioles Assistant Athletic Trainer BRIAN EBEL. For the 17th season, Major League Baseball and the American Academy of Dermatology will team together to educate players and fans about the importance of sun safety. On Sunday, Play Sun Smart will commence its season-long program to raise skin cancer awareness, while encouraging players and fans to practice sun-safe behavior and to schedule regular skin screenings. The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Orioles fan TANYA LOCKLEAR, 33, from Glen Burnie, MD. She is married to CHRIS LOCKLEAR and has three children: C.J., Kayla and Christina. Several weeks ago Tanya was diagnosed with Stage 4 Invasive Melanoma. Tanya is being treated at Johns Hopkins for multiple tumors including several melanoma brain tumors. Her mission is to raise awareness about melanoma by sharing her story at TanyaFightsCancer.com. 

ORIOLES MILITARY APPRECIATION PROGRAM

As part of the Orioles' Military Appreciation Program, presented by GEICO and Horizon Services, the Orioles and OriolesREACH donate a catered private suite at each Sunday home game at Oriole Park to servicemen and women. On Sunday, April 26, military members from the Warrior Events will enjoy the game against the Boston Red Sox at 1:35 p.m. from a catered suite, compliments of GEICO, have a meet-and-greet with pitchers ZACH BRITTON and CHRIS TILLMAN, and receive a player T-shirt and cap. On Sunday, May 3, members from the Veteran Tickets Foundation will enjoy the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:35 p.m. from a catered suite, compliments of Horizon Services, have a meet-and-greet with pitchers BRAD BRACH and TOMMY HUNTER, and receive a player T-shirt and cap.

STEAL SECOND BASE PRESENTED BY ESSKAY

The Orioles will again feature the Steal Second Base contest for every Sunday home game this season. Presented by ESSKAY, the Steal Second Base contest allows a young fan to participate in a timed race from the grounds crew area in center field to retrieve second base. Fans can sign up for the opportunity at the ballpark at any Fan Assistance Center. The lucky winner will receive four tickets to that day's game, gift certificates to use inside the park, an Orioles jersey, and an Orioles prize pack. The contestants will also get to keep the authentic base. The winner for Sunday, April 26, is COLE ANDERSON, a 10-year old from Mount Airy, MD. The following Sunday's winner for May 3 is GABRIEL GODEY, age 14, from Cockeysville, MD. 

ALUMNI AUTOGRAPH SERIES

Every Monday and Thursday home game, former Orioles players will sign autographs on Eutaw Street as part of the Orioles Alumni Autograph Series. On Monday, April 27, BRIAN BASS, LARRY BIGBIE, JACKIE BRANDT, and AL BUMBRY are scheduled to greet fans and sign autographs from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

ORIOLES REACH COMMUNITY BOOTH

During each home game, the Orioles provide a community booth for charitable, non-profit organizations to distribute information, sell raffle tickets, register participants, or conduct health care screenings for Orioles fans. The following groups will be at the community booth, located near Gate D, during this homestand:

DATE                     ORGANIZATION     

Fri, April 24                 MAS Rescue (Maryland Animal Sanctuary and Rescue)

Sat, April 25               Pets with Disabilities

Sun, April 26                           Babe Ruth Foundation

Mon, April 27              Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins

Tue, April 28                           Y of Central Maryland

Wed, April 29             Dog Rescue of Maryland

Fri, May 1                    Thankful Paws

Sat, May 2                               Tails of Hope

Sun, May 3                  Oriole Advocates Charitable Foundation

ORIOLES REACH GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE PROGRAM

This season, OriolesREACH will again host thousands of underprivileged youth as part of the Gameday Experience Program. Group members receive game tickets, concessions vouchers, an Orioles t-shirt, a cap, and transportation to and from the game. Tickets are provided courtesy of Orioles players. Players participating in the program this year include WEI-YIN CHEN, CHRIS DAVIS, MIGUEL GONZALEZ, J.J. HARDY, TOMMY HUNTER, ADAM JONES, BRIAN MATUSZ, BUD NORRIS, TRAVIS SNIDER, CHRIS TILLMAN, and MATT WIETERS. The following organizations will attend games at Oriole Park during this homestand, courtesy of these Orioles players:

DATE           ORGANIZATION                         GROUP SIZE PLAYER SPONSOR

Fri, April 24     Abbottston Elementary School #50               150                 Brian Matusz

Sat, April 25   Christian Youth Athletics                    150                 Chris Davis

Sun, April 26   BCML Travel Baseball                         150                 Adam Jones

Mon, April 27 Arbutus Elementary School                            150                 Tommy Hunter

Tue, April 28   Sharp-Leadenhall Elementary School            150                 Chris Tillman

Wed, April 29 School's Out Program at                    150                 Brian Matusz

                        Leith Walk Elementary School    

Fri, May 1        Curtis Bay Elementary/ Middle School          150                 Travis Snider

Sat, May 2       Foundation for Inner City Youth          150                 Miguel Gonzalez

Sun, May 3      Hampstead Academy                         150                 Bud Norris

GIVEAWAYS AND TICKET OFFERS

DATE            ITEM/OFFER                                     SPONSOR    ELIGIBILITY

Fri, April 24     Student Night                                                 AT&T                Students with valid school ID

Sun, April 26 Little League Day                                                       Pre-registered Little Leaguers

Tue, April 28 Ollie's Bargain Night               Ollie's Bargain Outlet All Upper Reserve seats $10

Fri, May 1        Student Night                                      AT&T                Students with valid school ID

Sat, May 2      Junior Orioles Dugout Club Day #1                            Dugout Club members

Sun, May 3      Little League Day                                                       Pre-registered Little Leaguers

Orioles Wristlet                                   PNC Bank         First 10,000 females 15 & over 

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