South Jersey Baseball:
Grand Slam We Care Foundation and Wachovia team for Annual Educational Winners Circle Grant

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

By Bill Cook
Trenton Thunder Director of Public Relations

The Grand Slam We Care Foundation and its’ two member organizations, the Lakewood BlueClaws and the Trenton Thunder Minor League Baseball teams, are once again teaming up with Wachovia Bank for the charitable community initiative called the Educational Winners Circle. The program helps fund educational opportunities for children in the Ocean and Monmouth County area along with the Trenton community.

The BlueClaws and Thunder donate five cents from every ticket sold during their respective seasons and Wachovia Bank matches each donation from the two ballparks. The program is entering its’ 11th year and has raised over a half million dollars for children on the Jersey Shore and in the greater Trenton area.

According to Wachovia regional president Susanne Svizeny, education is the primary focus of Wachovia’s philanthropic strategy, so the Educational Winner’s Circle is an especially appropriate program to support.

“The financial resources we will provide to these grass-roots agencies for their education initiatives will pay dividends many times over,” Svizeny said. “The funds will help new organizations get off the ground and assist established ones in enhancing their impact.”

Organizations may apply for Educational Winners Circle Grants from either the BlueClaws or the Thunder. Each team offers a $25,000 main grant with the remaining dollars split between two or more non-profit groups in each region.

Last year the BlueClaws primary grant of $25,000 was awarded to Family & Children’s Service, Oakhurst, while the CPC Behavioral Healthecare, Red Bank and Children’s Home Society, Lakewood split nearly $20,000 in remaining funds. The Boys and Girls Club of Trenton/Mercer County was the main recipient for the Thunder and the other recipients were the Young Scholars Institute PREP Program and Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic’s Trenton Learning Through Listening Program.

“We are honored and thrilled to again have Wachovia as a partner in this very important program,” said BlueClaws and Thunder President Joseph Finley. “To help such worthy organizations is tremendously gratifying and beneficial for the betterment of each community.”

Interested organizations can print an application for either team from the upcoming events page on www.grandslamwecare.org. If you would like more information about the program or would like to request an application, please contact the BlueClaws at (732) 901-7000 or the Trenton Thunder at (609) 394-3300. Interested parties may also e-mail requests to info@blueclaws.com, subject: Educational Winner’s Circle.

The Lakewood BlueClaws are the Single-A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Trenton Thunder are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.