"Building a generation of character for today and tomorrow." 
Newsletter - August 2018
Bringing the Game of Baseball to All Families


The Blizzard Foundation
The Blizzard Foundation
On August 12th, the Blizzard Foundation partnered with  Coborn's Delivers, Killebrew Root Beer, and  Twin Cities Orthopedics to bring the game of baseball  to families and friends of Crescent Cove and HopeKids. Crescent Cove is Minnesota's first hospice for children and HopeKids provides care for  families who have a child with cancer.

"The purpose of the event was to fulfill the mission of the Blizzard Foundation - making baseball accessible." Jeff Huth, executive director commented. "This event allowed families the opportunity to  enjoy family time together and enjoy a day of baseball without  navigating the massive stadium crowds. We wanted to bring a big league feel to the day."

And thats exactly what happened.

Coborn's Delivers and Killebrew Root Beer generously donated food and beverages for this event ensuring concessions were free of charge to all families that made their way out. In addition, Twin Cities Orthopedics provided funding for field rental as well as sending out Troy Simonson, CEO of Twin Cities Orthopedics, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

"It isn't often we get to do things as a family. Our family circumstances make it difficult to do things together. Thank you for giving us this opportunity." One family shared as they stopped by concessions prior to the National Anthem.

The Blizzard Foundation extends a sincere thank you all sponsors, teams, and volunteers who made this day possible. Over 55 familiy members from HopeKids and Crescent Cove were able to make it out for this event.

null
Dinner, Donations, and Drives

With a full fleet of golfers and and another 150 dinner guests the 3rd Annual Johnny Price IV Memorial Golf Tournament was a true success.

Legends Golf Club provided an extremely smooth and faced paced 18-hole tournament start and later catered a top-knotch dinner for all in attendance. The night served as an opportunity to share the story and mission of the Blizzard Foundation. During the program, Executive
Director, Jeff Huth, shared a recap of the impact the Blizzard Foundation has had in the community and the vision for the upcoming year  -  a vision that encompasses, shares, and propells the legacy of Johnny Price IV. 

Thank you to all of our donors, fans, volunteers, and guests for making this day possible.

"Blizzard Foundation Gets Kids Out of the House, Off the Streets"
By Sean Jensen, SportsEngine

"Manicured, the grass is not. The outfield isn't fenced, and the infield dirt is neither lined nor raked.

The patchy, scarred, multi-colored outdoor space is devoid of any diamond shape.
Yet it is a field of dreams.

Kids bike, ride buses and even walk to Battle Creek Middle School to participate in a free summer baseball camp. Everything is provided: snacks, water, lunch, balls, bats and gloves, and even a hat, which they get to keep.

The kids need the help; most of them attend or just finished at Battle Creek Middle School in St. Paul, Minnesota, where 82.1 percent of all students receive free or reduced lunch. On the first
 day of the baseball camp, one of the volunteer coaches asked how many of them had eaten breakfast.

No one raised their hand."

View Full Story Here

Archived Article - The Miracle League of Blaine

" At first, we only had a handful of players show up. None of us were really quite certain what to
expect. We didn't have enough kids for a full game so we practiced hitting and running the bases. We had such a great time,  and the photos proved it ! This got  more people excited about what was going on in the dome.

By the second game word had spread and more kids showed up to play with the Blizzard Baseball team. The BB team was so welcoming, and their coaches and parents are doing such an amazing job with these boys. Each one of them would introduce themselves to our players, and get to know them a bit while they played baseball together. Now, I don't know about you, but this just warms my heart. As a mom of a child with special needs, to see him out there playing baseball with boys his age when he's so often overlooked, it was something really special."

View the Full Story Here

The Blizzard Foundation looks to continue connecting the Minnesota Blizzard with the Miracle League of Blaine during the upcoming year while forming other partnerships with like organizations around the Twin Cities

Looking to Help?
 
Visit our Facebook -
A quick and easy way to help out. Like our page and share our latest post.


Speaking Engagments - Need a speaker at your next Rotary meeting or Chamber event? The Blizzard Foundation frequently visits these gatherings to share the work and vision of the foundation with the community.

Reach Out - I t is our goal to impact as many families as possible. If you or someone you know may be in need of support from the Blizzard Foundation, please connect them with director, Jeff Huth at 
Jeff.Huth@theblizzardfoundation.org

UPCOMING DATES

September 1st
This marks the deadline for families to apply for fall assistance from the Blizzard foundation.The Blizzard Foundation is dedicated to helping make baseball accessible for all families, regardless of affiliation. More information regarding the assistance application and process visit  http://theblizzardfoundation.org/apply-for-financial-assistance/

December 15th
Circle this date on your calendar! The Blizzard Foundation will be hosting the first ever Blizzard Foundation Holiday Party. This will be a time for us to share accomplishments of the Blizzard Foundation, connect with other donors, and build momentum for an even better 2019! Details to come!

*If you know a baseball team or association looking for service learning opportunities contact the Blizzard Foundation today!