Player/Mascot Appearances, Speakers Bureau
The Whitecaps organization believes strongly in giving back to the community, and one of the best ways to do so is by making public appearances and meeting fans. During the season (April through August), Whitecaps players visit children at area schools regularly, speaking to classes on the importance of staying in school, not doing drugs and participating in activities. Players also visit children in hospitals, which always brings a smile to patients who need that moral support. Although the team plays nearly every day during the season (they get only two days off a month), they graciously accommodate requests for morning appearances (scheduled through the Whitecaps Community Relations Department) whenever they can.
Whitecaps mascot Crash the River Rascal keeps busy year-round, appearing in parades, attending school functions, participating in celebrity mascot games and any other imaginable activity.
And finally, the Whitecaps Speakers Bureau, made up of Whitecaps front office members, can be seen and heard at rotary club functions, business associations, colleges, schools, and other organizations.
Community Ticket Programs
The West Michigan Whitecaps have initiated several programs that offer children and disadvantaged individuals the opportunity to attend games.
The Whitecaps Reading Club, which began in 1997, is our largest ticket program and the one that has the potential for the greatest impact on kids in West Michigan. Children from area elementary schools who read a total of 450 minutes, or 15 minutes a day, in the month of March (known nationally as Reading Month) receive a ticket to any Whitecaps game in April or May. The Whitecaps deliver all support materials, such as bookmarks and posters, to the schools, which participate at no cost.
The Whitecaps Ticket Sales Department administers the Big Buddy Program, a means for corporations to make monetary donations of $100 (20 tickets), $250 (50 tickets), $500 (100 tickets), $750 (150 tickets) or $1000 (200 tickets). The Whitecaps then facilitate the distribution of the tickets purchased to groups of disadvantaged children or special needs individuals so that they can enjoy a day at the ballpark. Thanks to contributors such as DeVries Travel, Great Lakes Paving, Modern Roofing, Kool Chevy, Emerald Spa, Eastbrook Homes, Best Buy, Geotech Inc., Miner Supply, AMBS Investment, Centennial Securities, Chemical Bank West, Member First Mortgage, Standard Supply & Lumber, Precision Metal, Oliver Products and Campfire USA. The program has been around since 1996 and each year helps nearly 1,000 individuals attend baseball games.
Another ticket program handled by the Whitecaps Ticket Sales Department is Group Fundraisers. Available to non-profit organizations raising money for special projects, the fundraising program allows groups to purchase a minimum of 100 tickets at a discounted rate and re-sell them at face value to raise money. For example, a reserved seat fundraiser would allow groups to purchase tickets for $6.00 each and re-sell them for $8.50.
Still another ticket program is the donation of four box seat season tickets to charitable organizations in the name of Dan Bender, a valued friend and business partner of the Whitecaps who passed away in 1996. The Whitecaps and Gordon Food Service initiated the donation of the "Bender Tickets" to honor the memory of Bender's kindness to people. The seats, located behind home plate are given annually to organizations which assist underprivileged and disadvantaged youth in West Michigan. The Whitecaps determine the recipients of the season tickets each year.
