PARTNERING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: ELI LILLY & THE CANNON BALLER FOUNDATION  

(Kannapolis, N.C.) – Eli Lilly and the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers announced today that Lilly will be the presenting sponsor of the Cannon Baller Foundation, and as part of that significant contribution to the community will be supporting the Cannon Baller Foundation and its efforts in a myriad of ways.

The Cannon Baller Foundation is built upon five pillars identified by the team and stakeholders after three years of working in and giving back to the community at and around Atrium Health Ballpark. Those pillars are health and wellness, military and first responders, education, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability. Community members will already be familiar with many of the premiere ways the team supports these causes already – such as MLK Dream Day, HBCU Night, Trees of Hope, Starry Night, Field of Honor – but both organizations look forward to going even deeper to make an even more meaningful impact.

A key piece of the Lilly partnership which supports the education pillar is the creation of a Cannon Ballers Scholarship Program, which will be a direct gift to a graduating Cabarrus or Rowan County resident that’s works with the Cannon Ballers. Lilly is also donating more than 1,500 meals to Title I students in Rowan and Cabarrus Counties who attend one of the team’s three Education Games. “The education pillar is fundamental to what we do as a ball club, because it’s our responsibility to help form and inspire the young people we count on as fans” said Vince Marcucci, Chief Revenue Officer with Temerity Baseball.

Another key aspect of the program that will support youth and their overall health and wellness is a Community Youth Baseball Clinic hosted by Lilly and the Cannon Ballers. Hundreds of young people have enjoyed participating in baseball clinics at Atrium Health Ballpark, and with the support of Lilly, hundreds more will get that same opportunity at no cost to them or their families.

The Cannon Ballers have hosted two “Dream Day” events on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrating Dr. King’s legacy and celebrating the African American community. “We’ve worked hard to make everyone feel welcome at our ballpark, and events like Dream Day and HBCU Night are two small ways we have tried to improve on that. I look forward to being pushed to do even more with our partners at Lilly,” said Cannon Ballers General Manager Matt Millward.

“The Cannon Baller Foundation could not have asked for a better organization to partner with as we look to continue our mission of making an impact on the lives of those in our community. As the construction carries on at the Lilly site in Concord, we are continually reminded of their commitment to the residents of our community. The Cannon Ballers are thankful to have the opportunity to collaborate and assist in facilitating the vision of Lilly’s community impact efforts,” said Chief Revenue Officer Vince Marcucci

Other organizations such as Subaru Concord and Mid-Atlantic Structioneers are getting involved in supporting the sustainability pillar of the Foundation. Subaru Concord will be joining the Cannon Ballers in supporting the team’s Compostable initiative. In 2022, the team made strides by purchasing all compostable food packaging containers and providing the composting bins throughout the ballpark. In addition to the packaging, over 29,000 lbs. of food waste was composted throughout the season.

The Cannon Ballers are thrilled to announce the creation of the Break-A-Bat, Plant-A-Tree Program presented by Mid-Atlantic Structioneers for the 2023 season. The program will focus on the continued replenishment of natural resources back into our community. Throughout the season, the team will track how many bats are broken during 2023 home games and host a Tree Planting event in the fall to plant the same number of trees back into our community parks.

“The best part of this partnership is that we can all encourage each other do to better as individuals and companies. We’re proud to be working not just with the Cannon Ballers, but alongside other dynamic local businesses, too,” said Bob Rosser President of MASI.

This season, the Cannon Ballers will look to continue their mission of being the home for inspiration and entertainment while enhancing the team’s effort to make an even larger impact on the community. If you are interested in supporting the Cannon Baller Foundation or partnering with the team on a community impact program, please reach out to Chief Revenue Officer, Vince Marcucci or General Manager, Matt Millward at (704) 932-3267.