December 15 , 2006

Barry Zito and his Celebrity Sports Friends Play Santa To Our Wounded Soldiers and their Families In Strikeouts For Troops First Holiday Celebrity Bash

Strikeouts For Troops has raised over $250,000 in 20 months

Walnut Creek, CA (December 15, 2006)–Barry Zito, founder of Strikeouts For TroopsTM, a national program designed to help our war wounded soldiers and their families, collected hundreds of new toys for the children of our troops and raised more than $25,000., at last Monday’s ‘ Strikeouts For Troops Holiday Celebrity Bash’ at Pyramid Brewery in Walnut Creek, CA.   In just 20 months, Strikeouts For Troops has raised more than $250,000., with the of the contributions going directly to those soldiers.
Zito and the other sports stars donned red Santa hats with their names emblazoned across the front, including C.C. Sabathia, Nick Swisher, Tony La Russa, Eric Byrnes, Dan Haren and Coco Crisp from the baseball world and football's Jerry Rice and Barry Sims.  All greeted fans, signed autographs, participated in the live auction, and served as guest bartenders.


Funds for Strikeouts For Troops emanate through Zito’s own contributions and from those of over 35 players from various professional baseball teams, fundraising events, and fan donations. In addition to the assistance provided to the soldier’s and their families for their welfare and special needs, contributions have funded holiday dinners at military hospitals, bought Christmas gifts for families of patients unable to afford them, and helped build a hospital children’s center where children can stay while their parents tend to their medical needs.


"I am so proud that so many people and sports stars came together for our first Holiday Celebrity Bash—to make a difference in the lives of our wounded soldiers, their kids and families for the holidays.  They really are our true heroes in uniform and we want them to know we care," said Barry Zito.
 

Strikeouts For Troops is a national program funded by contributions to the “Strikeouts For Troops Fund” at The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. For more information on Strikeouts For Troops, please visit www.strikeoutsfortroops.org

Corporate sponsors for the Strikeouts For Troops Holiday Bash were Sprint Together with Nextel, Pyramid Alehouse, and Printsight.com.