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2019 Community Impact Report

Introduction

2019 Highlights

Community Impact

Pelicans Community Fund

Supported Charities

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Community Impact

The Pelicans are a longstanding member of the Grand Strand Community.  In year 21 the team continues to find ways to succeed on the field or off.  Results such as these would not be possible without the continued support of our community.

 

In addition to fundraisers and in-kind and monetary donations, members of the Pelicans Front Office serve more than 24 different local organizations.

Pelicans Community Fund

MISSION STATEMENT:  The mission of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Community Fund is to make the Grand Strand Community a better place to live, work and play. Through fundraising efforts, donations, community giveback, volunteer time, and in-kind services the Pelicans are committed to using the power of sports to create positive change.

 

IMPACT STATEMENT: We take our commitment to the Grand Strand very seriously and will make that commitment a focal point of every season. In 2013 the Pelicans created the Pelicans Community Fund in an effort to raise $250,000 annually. Since the creation of the PCF, the Pelicans have reached or exceeded the annual goal each year.  In the six years since the fund began, we are proud to say that more than $2.4 million has been given back to the local community.

SuPPorted CHARITIES

The Pelicans support approximately 200 different charities and non-profit organizations annually.  These organizations include American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Club, Backpack Buddies, Special Olympics, Vietnam Veterans of American, the American Cancer Society, and others through ticket fundraisers, silent auctions, game day events, in-kind donations and more.  In addition to fundraising efforts the Pelicans players and Front Office Staff performs hundreds of community service hours each year.

 

2019 HIGHLIGHTS & BENEFICIARIES:

 

 

 

Student Scholarships

Player Service Award

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STUDENT ScholarshipS

As part of the Pelicans Community Fund the Pelicans give two awards in honor of former Pelicans pitching coach, Bruce Dal Canton.  Dal Canton was with the Pelicans from 1999-2008.  Before joining the Pelicans, Dal Canton played professional baseball with the Pirates, Royals, Braves and White Sox organizations.  Dal Canton tragically passed away in 2008 due to esophageal cancer.  Dal Canton is remembered as a teacher of the game and a true gentleman of baseball.

 

To honor Dal Canton, the Pelicans established the Bruce and Helene Dal Canton Scholarship Fund.  The scholarship is awarded to two students graduating from the Horry County Early College High School program. Each student is awarded $1,500.

 

 

PLAYER Service Award

The second award given in honor of Bruce Dal Canton is the Player Service Award.  This award is reserved for a current Pelicans player who demonstrates the most dedication to community service in Horry County.  The recipient is presented with a $500 check.

 

This year the award was presented to Cam Balego.

 

 

Playground Takeover Days

Pelicans Cheer Team

Miracle League

Clinics

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Playground Takeovers

 

In 2018 we created a program to give area school kids the ultimate recess experience.  It requires no additional work from the teachers, principals, or anyone at the school.  It also doesn’t require any additional time out of the classroom for the students.  Playground Takeovers include inflatables, mascots, music, and many more activities that give the kids an experience they won't  forget!

  

2019 Results:

  • 11 elementary/intermediate schools visited
  • Approximately 10,000 kids reached

Pelicans Cheer Team

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans cheer team was founded in 2016. The goal of the cheer team was to get more children involved in sports and to give back to the community.  Since 2016 the team has done some remarkable things. Over the years the team has been recognized by the Myrtle Beach City Council and the Governor of the State of South Carolina for their outstanding efforts in service to and support of our community. 

 

Pelicans Cheer Team Webpage 

Miracle League

Fueled by generous community support and passionate board members the Grand Strand Miracle League was founded in 2001. The Grand Strand Miracle League became the second all-access baseball league in the nation.  ADA approved the adapted baseball field and was constructed with a rubberized surface perfect for wheelchairs and walkers. 

 

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are continuously involved with the Miracle League program. Each season the Pelicans players and staff spend a Saturday afternoon at the Miracle League playing baseball with the athletes.  It is an event that no one ever forgets.

CAMPS & Clinics

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are making a big difference in the lives of youth baseball players.  The Pelicans hosted two, 2-day youth baseball camps for children ages 7-14 as well as a 1-day youth baseball clinic with former Atlanta Brave Brian "Twosportsman" Jordan. 

 

Participants in each event received training on the fundamentals of baseball such as hitting, pitching and received hands on instruction from the Pelicans coaches and players. 

 

Each participant received a Pelicans Camp t-shirt, Lunch, four tickets to the Pelicans game and received special recognition with an on-field ceremony.

Jersey Auctions

Mystery Ball Raffle

Family Fund Raising

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Jersey Auctions

Custom themed jerseys accompanied select premium theme nights during the 2019 season.  These custom jerseys were auctioned off through silent auctions and raffles during the game, with winners taking home the autographed, game-worn jerseys at the conclusion of the game. Proceeds from the auctions benefited select non-profit organizations including the Deaf Awareness, the Pelicans Community Fund, and more.

 

On July 3rd, special military jerseys were worn by the team and given away for free to veterans and active duty personnel.

 

Mystery Ball Raffle

The Mystery Ball Raffle is an annual fundraiser for the Pelicans Community Fund.  Throughout the season we collect autographed baseballs from visiting teams, MiLB teams and former Pelicans players. On the day of the raffle, fans buy a mystery box for $15.  The box can contain an autographed baseball ranging from a Pelicans team signed baseball to a Hall of Fame players signed baseball. The balls are sold until we run out.  

family fund raising

The Pelicans work with a local group, Family Fund Raising, to help staff our concession stands throughout the season.  These volunteers work Pelicans home games as a fundraising mechanism to support youth activities (such as little league, dance, etc.) or the charity of their choice.

Backpack Buddies

Boys and Girls Club

Annual School Tools Drive

First Responder Fridays

Hits for Homes

SBYSA Opening Day Takeover

Backpack Buddies

For the seventh year in a row the Myrtle Beach Pelicans have partnered with Backpack Buddies to help raise awareness and increase food donations for the Help 4 Kids organization. The goal of this organization is to provide the necessities to children of the working poor and make them feel good about themselves.  Backpack Buddies in particular, is focused on keeping the children feed when school is out. To support this cause, the Pelicans offer 1/2 price admission every Monday with a donation to Backpack Buddies.  This initiative has been dubbed Half Off for Hunger.  

 

Through this promotion the Pelicans are able facilitate thousands of donations to Backpack Buddies, helping to feed over 3,500 hungry children each week in Horry County.

 

 

Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club mission is "To inspire and enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. "   

 

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans have joined the effort through the club's after school work program.  Each year we employee a student who comes to work after school for a few hours a week.  The jobs varies depending on what type of work we have available at the time and the interests of each student. 

 

Students that have graduated from the program have returned to work for the team as game day staff members.

annual school tools drive

Mid-August signals the beginning of another school year.  That time of year when children get their school supply list ready to head to the store.  This time of year can be very stressful. There are a lot of parents in this county that struggle to provide the necessary school supplies for their children. That is why the Pelicans along with WMBF News have partnered on a school supply drive for the last three years.  All donations benefit local students in need. 

 

As a thank you, any fan who donated supplies received a free drink on August 22nd (soda or beer)!  As a result, hundreds of donations were collected including notebooks, pencils, paper, crayons, folders, and more.

first responder fridays

For the second straight year, WMBF & Allegiant Air, and 707 Shooting Range have partnered with the Pelicans to present First Responder Friday.  Every Friday home game First Fesponders received 1/2 price admission simply by showing their badge or ID.  But that wasn't all...

 

Once a month WMBF & the Pelicans picked one local First Responder and surprised him or her live on Facebook with a $500 flight voucher courtesy of Allegiant Air!  Click here to view one such surprise.

 

To further the program, WMBF conducted regular interviews with these local heroes to share their story.  These videos were posted to Facebook and the response from the community was fantastic!

First Responder Interview

HITS FOR HOMES

The Hits for Homes promotion was a new addition to the 2019 season.  Through a partnership with Bank of America and Sunbelt Rentals, every Pelicans hit at TicketReturn.Com Field resulted in a $20 donation to Habitat for Humanity.  The program raised nearly $20,000!

opening day takeover

Once again in March this year, the Pelicans picked up their game day show, complete with walk-up music, between inning contests, a PA announcer, and on-field emcee to produce the Surfside Beach Youth Sports Association Opening Day.  2019 marks the 3rd straight year for this program.

 

Members of the Pelicans staff even participated in friendly softball game against a couple of the players.

Community Heroes Night

Ed Piotrowski Bobblehead

Special Olympics

Military Appreciation Night

First Responders Thank You Nights

Scout Sleepovers

Pelicanos

Palmetto State

Deaf Awareness Night

Community Heroes Night

In October of 2018 in the wake of Hurricane Florence, the Pelicans announced a ticket fundraiser to help local flood victims.  Additionally, the team put together a Community Heroes Card Set to highlight members of the community who had gone above and beyond to help those in need.  The call was put out to nominate anyone who helped a friend, a neighbor, or a stranger during Hurricane Florence and the subsequent flooding.  The Card Set that was given away to the first 1,000 fans on April 6. 

 

The promotion garnered national attention from The Weather Channel.  Pelicans General Manager Ryan Moore unveiled the first 4 card set members were live on-air with Jim Cantore and Stephanie Abrams. 

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Ed Piotrowski Bobblehead

In recognition of his efforts throughout not only Hurricane Florence and her flooding, but during any weather related event, the Pelicans honored WPDE Chief Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski with his very own bobblehead. The bobblehead was distributed to the first 1,000 fans through the gates on April 7.

 

"Ed is a long-standing member of this community," said Pelicans General Manager Ryan Moore. "His wealth of knowledge and straight forward dissemination of the facts during weather events is what makes him such a reliable source. This community is fortunate to have such a dedicated citizen and we are delighted to honor him in this way."

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Special Olympics

The vision of Special Olympics South Carolina is to be the leader in lifelong and unified sports programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, empowering athletes to be valued members of their community and respected members of society. Special Olympics Night is always a staple on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans calendar and the past few years the Special Olympics Spring Games have been held at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.  This year the Pelicans presented the Special Olympics with a check in the amount of $1,638.

Military Appreciation Night

Military Appreciation Night at the ballpark has become a staple event each May.  Through a great partnership with Embrace Hospice, the Pelicans are able to hold a complimentary picnic for local veterans.  The team also highlights a select number of veterans each year with a card set and a special on-field presentation prior to the game.  Additionally, the team wears special jerseys that are raffled for free to veterans and active duty personnel. 

First Responders thank you Nights

First Responders provide a safe environment for our locals and tourists year round.  The tourism based economy puts a tremendous strain on city and county personnel and resources throughout the year, but it drives the economy for all of us.   As a way to say "Thank You" for these efforts the Pelicans invited our First Responders and support staff out to the ballpark with two complimentary tickets and dinner. 

 

Additionally, every Friday night in 2018 First Responders received 1/2 price admission.

Scout Sleepovers

Each year we have Scout Nights at the Stadium. Local Boy and Girl Scout troops gear up for a night of excitement. Each scout received a ticket to watch the Myrtle Beach Pelicans play. The night started off with a scout pre-game parade. Once the game was over they pitched their tents in the outfield and watched a movie on the video board. The scouts that participated in the overnight portion received a Pelicans Scout night patch. 

Pelicanos

Prior to the 2019 we joined MiLB's Copa de la Diversión program and added the "Pelicanos" brand to our on-field collection.  On the last Sunday home game of each month the team became los Pelicanos.  Additionally, a new line of merchandise was introduced to fans.

 

The new moniker maintains the creature's symbolization of social responsibility, teamwork and charity while propelling the franchise into the future through authentic engagement with its Latin community.

Palmetto State

This summer we re-branded our Locals Appreciation Nights as Palmetto State Saturdays.   The re-brand included adding a new logo to our on-field collection, Palmetto State.  The design features a Pelicans spin on the South Carolina state flag emblem. 

 

On all Saturday games for the remainder of the 2019 campaign, with the exclusion of June 15, the Pelicans sported specialty themed Palmetto State jerseys and hats. Additionally, Palmetto State Saturdays, previously known as Locals Appreciation Saturdays, have now expanded to allow all residents of the state of South Carolina to receive $3 off their game ticket when they show their South Carolina ID at the Anderson Brothers Bank Box Office.