The Strike 3 Foundation

by PD   |   Posted Aug. 31, 2016   |  a good cause

As summer winds down and we ramp up for the September push, I thought it would be a good time to take a break from writing about marketing topics and talk a bit about a great organization we are working with. So, have you played any WIFFLE® Ball lately? Would you like to?

Let’s start at the beginning. A few years ago, a client and good friend introduced me to Craig Breslow, who at that time was a relief pitcher for the Oakland A’s. Craig has been called “the smartest man in baseball.” He graduated from Yale with a double-major in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, has done genetic research in his off seasons and was accepted into medical school at New York University.

Craig’s younger sister was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age 13 and thankfully, today she leads an unrestricted life as a cancer survivor. That experience led Craig to start the Strike 3 Foundation, which raises money for childhood cancer research. Through the fundraising efforts of Craig and the all-volunteer staff of the Foundation, more than $3,000,000 in revenue has been generated since 2008. Funds have been distributed to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and others.

A couple of years ago, Craig asked me to assist with marketing and communications, and the entire team here has been honored to do so ever since. There’s great personal satisfaction in doing so, even though I often wish we had the time and the resources to do more.

So back to WIFFLE ball…

The Foundation is hosting its second annual WIFFLE Ball tournament on October 8th at Little Fenway in Essex, Vermont. Little Fenway is a ¼ scale version of the iconic park in Boston, and as much as it pains this born-in-the-Bronx, diehard Yankee fan to say, it’s a pretty cool place. They also have scaled down versions of other ballparks: Little Wrigley and Little Field of Dreams. If you are interested in revisiting your youth and playing WIFFLE ball, you can bring a team and participate in the more competitive “Majors Division” or the “Minors Division,” which is more focused on having fun than on competition. If you can’t get to Vermont but think you might want to donate to a team’s contribution, that’s also an option. And if you can’t do either, I’d ask that you just make a mental note to be thankful to Craig, his staff and the people who organize and run all charitable foundations. Their work is inspiring and should not be taken for granted.

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If you’d like to learn more about the Strike 3 Foundation or the WIFFLE® ball tournament, check out these links:

The Strike 3 Foundation website: www.strike3foundation.org

The 2016 WIFFLE Ball Tournament: www.strike3foundation.org/events/2016-wiffle-ball/

To donate to a team: www.crowdrise.com/2016Strike3WiffleBall

To make a donation directly to the Strike 3 Foundation: www.strike3foundation.org/donate

 

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