SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres today announced plans for their annual community caravan, featuring Padres 12 Days of Giving beginning Tuesday, December 5. Each day through Saturday, December 16 will feature Padres presence and support of community events and organizations throughout San Diego County and the Baja region. Padres players, coaches, alumni, executives, staff and broadcasters, along with Pad Squad, the Swinging Friar and the Padres Volunteer Team, will attend a variety of community events helping to spread holiday cheer.
The Padres organization launched its holiday giving efforts earlier this month with several events assisting those in need. In partnership with the San Diego Food Bank, members of the Padres Front Office distributed Thanksgiving meals to deserving families at Petco Park. That same week, Padres Chief Operating Officer Erik Greupner and volunteers from the Padres Volunteer Team served dinner to families from the Monarch School as part of its annual Thanksgiving festival.
The Padres 12 Days of Giving initiative begins Tuesday, December 5 with the Wounded Warrior Holiday Luncheon. At this annual event, Pad Squad and the Friar will be showing appreciation to the service members in attendance. The following day, Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler, players, the Pad Squad and Friar, will be on hand to unveil the new Padres and Fowler Family Playroom at the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego in a ribbon cutting ceremony.
As part of five separate stops on Saturday, December 9, the caravan will visit the San Diego Police Foundation's K9 program to greet the officers and experience a day in the life of a K9 handler. Padres players will have the opportunity to see the canines in action training during a behind-the-scenes tour.
For the second consecutive year, the Padres caravan will head south of the border on Sunday, December 10 with visits to Mi Estancia, a home away from home for families of children receiving treatment at the Hospital General de Tijuana, and the Liga Municipal de Tijuana Little League to help renovate a youth baseball field. Padres Spanish television broadcasters Eduardo Ortega and Carlos Hernandez will be joined by the Pad Squad and Friar as they greet children and their families at the hospital before making their way to the field.
After hosting the inaugural Padres Summer Blood Drive at Petco Park this past June, the Padres will once again team up with the San Diego Blood Bank for the San Diego Cares Blood Drive on Saturday, December 16 at the Town and Country Convention Center with current Padres players and broadcasters in attendance. Members of the Padres 1998 National League Championship team will participate in a Q&A session with donors and sign autographs ahead of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the '98 team.
Other events and organizations that will be touched include the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Family Day, the Community Resource Center's Jingle and Mingle Event, the Burn Institute Holiday Fair, The Rock Church's Toys for Joy program, the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus Jingle performance at the Balboa Theatre, South Bay Community Services, Shelter to Solider, a baseball youth clinic with STAR/PAL, a free youth softball clinic at Petco Park, the Junior Seau Foundation's Shop with a Jock event, Monarch School, Padres Day at the Holiday by the Bay skating rink, Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton's Secret Santa event, Father Joe's Village and participate in a bike distribution to local elementary school kids. In total, the 12 Days of Giving will include 40 stops, more than double the amount from last year's caravan.
Select events during the caravan will be open for media coverage with coverage specifics to be distributed next week. More information on caravan events can be found here.