All-Star Kansas City Royal to visit Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
in January
SEATTLE, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Five-time All-Star Mike Sweeney will
receive the 2007 Hutch Award(R), which is given annually to a Major League
Baseball player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive
desire of baseball great Fred Hutchinson, both on and off the field.
Sweeney, a player for the Kansas City Royals for his entire 13-year
career, served most recently as a designated hitter. He began his major
league career with the Royals in 1995 as a catcher. In 1999, as a first
baseman, he embarked upon a celebrated hitting streak. His lifetime batting
average stands at .299, a mark that ranks second all-time among Royals
players, trailing only George Brett, who finished his career with a .305
batting average.
"To receive the Hutch Award is an amazing honor for me," Sweeney said.
"It's one of the best things that can happen in a baseball career; I feel
very proud to be part of the Hutch Award tradition."
Though Sweeney battled injuries most of the 2007 season, his efforts on
behalf of charitable organizations never flagged. Along with his wife,
Shara, Sweeney has been active in Kansas City's Reviving Baseball in the
Inner Cities (RBI) program, which is run through the Boys & Girls Clubs to
benefit underprivileged youth. In addition, the Sweeney Family Foundation
encourages people of Catholic faith to work with youth and families through
a variety of urban-outreach missions, including youth baseball camps.
The foundation regularly invited children's charities to bring young
guests to Royals games where they became members of the "Sween Team." Since
2003, the Sweeneys and their foundation purchased more than $23,000 in
tickets and souvenirs for nearly 3,000 kids.
"If I can bring a glimpse of hope or an ounce of strength to a child
fighting adversity, to me that's more enjoyable than hitting home runs,"
Sweeney said. "I always hope that through my work and my interactions I can
have an impact on kids, and I know full well that they've had an impact on
Shara and me."
Sweeney will visit children at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center's Hutch School and receive his award at the annual Hutch Award
Luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at Safeco Field in Seattle.
Funds raised through the Hutch Award Luncheon benefit The Gregory
Fund(R) for early cancer-detection research at the Hutchinson Center. The
Gregory Fund was established in 2003 as a collaboration of the Hutchinson
Center and The Moyer Foundation, founded by major-league pitcher Jamie
Moyer and his wife, Karen.
The Hutchinson Center was founded by Fred's brother Bill, a prominent
Seattle surgeon, after Fred died of cancer at age 45. The Hutch Award was
established in 1965 and was first given to Mickey Mantle. Other Hutch Award
winners have included Moyer, 2006 recipient Mark Loretta, Craig Biggio,
Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Omar Vizquel, Sandy Koufax and Carl
Yastrzemski. In all, 11 Hall-of-Famers have received the Hutch Award. For
more information about the Hutch Award, including a full list of past
recipients, visit http://www.fhcrc.org/hutchaward.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams
of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent,
diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers,
including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for
health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more
information, please visit http://www.fhcrc.org
CONTACT
Christi Ball Loso
(206) 667-5215
closo@fhcrc.org
SOURCE Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
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Related links:
http://www.fhcrc.org
CONTACT:
Christi Ball Loso of Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center, +1-206-667-5215, closo@fhcrc.org
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