Sky Sox Announce Waldo Canyon Classic

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox, in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA), Memorial Hospital and CenturyLink, are proud to announce the creation of the Waldo Canyon Classic. This celebrity softball game will be held at Security Service Field on Saturday, June 22 at 7:05 PM and will commemorate the one year anniversary of the Waldo Canyon Fire that devastated the Colorado Springs community. Highlighting the players who will be participating in the event is Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers who saved over 340 games in his career and won both the Cy Young Award and American League MVP Award in 1981. Following the game, there will also be an exciting fireworks show.

The contest will salute the brave men and women of the Colorado Springs Police and Fire Departments who willingly fight everyday to keep our community safe and secure. The two teams will consist of members of the Colorado Springs Police and Fire Departments, including two celebrity managers in Chief Pete Carey for the Police and Chief Rich Brown for Fire. In addition, each team will also include several former professional baseball players, local media members and local dignitaries.

As part of the game day activities, the teams will don unique custom made jerseys each representing their respective department. These unique, game worn jerseys will be auctioned off during and after the game with 100% of the proceeds benefitting local fire and police designated charities. The Colorado Springs Fire Protective Association will receive 50% of the proceeds and the other 50% will support the Police Foundation of Colorado Springs.

During the game, there will be a special silent auction of all the players' jerseys which will be held in the concourse at the main entrance of the stadium. Following the game, a live auction will be held on the Sky Sox dugout that will feature a select number of jerseys including Rollie Fingers'. All jerseys will be autographed by the player that wore them and will be accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. The MLBPAA will also auction off a variety of baseball memorabilia during the game with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the selected charities.

Tickets for the event come in three different options and can be purchased online at www.skysox.com, in person at the Sky Sox box office or by calling (719) 591-SOXX:

• A limited number of special VIP package tickets will be available for $30 and include:
  • A general admission ticket to the game.
  • Access to a special autograph session before the game with the former Major League players, including Rollie Fingers
  • Membership in the MLBPAA (**includes many benefits that are detailed below)
• Regular general admission tickets to the game will be $10.
• Group tickets can be purchased in advance for groups of 20 or more through the Sky Sox group sales department for $7 each.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Sky Sox and Security Service Field to continue to bring awareness and healing to the Waldo Canyon community," said Nikki Warner, Public Relations Coordinator of Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. "Members of the MLBPAA are especially excited to give back to the responders and their families through this exciting event."

Former professional players that will be participating in the game include:

• Rollie Fingers, Hall of Fame pitcher, Cy Young Award Winner & AL MVP in 1981, played 18 seasons with Oakland, San Diego & Milwaukee, won three World Series with Oakland 1972-74.
• Dave Henderson, Outfielder played 14 seasons with Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, Oakland & Kansas City, won a World Series with Oakland in 1989, hit 197 career home runs.
• Mike Timlin, Four-time World Series Champion with Toronto (1992-93) & Boston (2004, 2007), reliever played in 18 seasons with Toronto, Seattle, Baltimore, St. Louis, Philadelphia & Boston
• Bob Knepper, Two-time All-Star, pitcher played 15 seasons with San Francisco & Houston, won 146 games in his career including six season with 10 or more wins.
• Mark Knudson, A member of the Rockies inaugural 1993 team, pitcher played in eight seasons with Houston, Milwaukee & Colorado.
• Mark Lee, Pitcher played four seasons with Kansas City, Milwaukee & Baltimore
• Skip Jutze, Catcher who played in six seasons with St. Louis, Houston & Seattle, hit first ever grand slam in Mariners history
• Gary Krug, Mitchell High School grad and current Pine Creek JV Baseball Head Coach played for the Cubs in 1981, former Head Baseball Coach at Cheyenne Mountain  High School

"The Waldo Canyon Fire was one of the most devastating events in Colorado Springs' history and its impact is still being felt today," said Sky Sox President & General Manager Tony Ensor. "However, one positive our community has taken from that event is the pride we have in our Colorado Springs Police and Fire Departments. We are honored to pay tribute to our local heroes for not only the heroics they showed during the Waldo Canyon Fire but also for what they do day-in and day-out to make Colorado Springs one of the best communities in America."

**MLBPAA Membership benefits include: Subscription to Baseball Alumni News, the official newsletter of the MLBPAA; Alumni membership card & certificate suitable for framing; Official MLBPAA tote; MLBPAA window decal; Opportunity to purchase MLBPAA logo merchandise; 10% off purchases at the MLB.com shop; Up to 25% off of authenticated memorabilia from the MLBPAA; Discounts on travel, shopping, entertainment and more, up to 60% off, through Working Advantage; Ability to book all travel on www.MLBPAATravel.com (a Travelocity hosted website) and a portion of the proceeds, up to 40%, will be donated back to the MLBPAA; Shop at Albertsons and a portion of your purchases will be donated back to the MLBPAA when you use your Community Partners card (only valid in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas).

For more information please contact Mike Hobson at (719) 597-1449 or through email at [email protected].