Hitting it out of the park for a cause

More about Mike Aresnault

The competition has nothing on Majors’ facility

Batter up

The Majors are currently 5-0 this season:

We play four games this weekend: Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at home; then the team travels to Barrie for a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

Published: June 03, 2011 12:00 a.m.

Last modified: June 03, 2011 2:51 a.m.

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Community involvement is a huge — and very important — aspect of any professional baseball franchise. It’s definitely integral to the experience of being a London Major.

Connecting with fans and the residents of the Forest City (I’m learning the lingo!) is part of the job description, and it’s one we players enjoy. It’s always a pleasure to meet the people who come to watch us play.

The Sifton Pack the Park fundraiser is one such initiative.

On Sunday, June 12, all proceeds from tickets sales to our game against the Ottawa Fat Cats will benefit the Sunshine Foundation, whose mission is to make dreams come true for kids with severe physical disabilities and life-threatening illnesses.

It’s a wonderful cause.

Over the past two days, I, along with two teammates, staked out two downtown office buildings during lunch hour to sell as many tickets as possible to fulfill our lofty goal of seeing 5,000 Londoners at Labatt Park on June 12.

The ticket drive was a clever way to get the players into the public eye and a perfect example of guerrilla marketing for both the Majors and the Sunshine Foundation.

I was like a man possessed selling tickets; no one was safe. I made Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross look like a girl scout selling cookies door to door.

After lunch we went for a meet-and-greet with some of the coolest and most entertaining people I’ve met in London thus far: The occupants of the Richmond Woods Retirement Residence.

They were a blast to hang out with, and I can only hope that I have a similar zest for life when I’m that age. Some of the ladies were especially friendly and forthright.

I think I may have a date next week.

More about Mike Aresnault , Life With the Majors

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