FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: July 1, 2008
CONTACTS:
Kim Rymer, Volunteers of America-Minnesota, Office (952) 945-4074, Cell (612) 267-7622, Email krymer@voamn.org
Greg Bouris, Major League Baseball Players Association, (212) 826-0808, Email gbouris@mlbpa.org
Minnesota Twins Players Mauer and Punto and Student Volunteers from the Minnesota Action Team Go To Bat for Senior Wellness
"Virtual Baseball Challenge" Aims to Engage Both the Minds and Bodies of Older Adults
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Twins players Joe Mauer and Nick Punto are scheduled to join student volunteers from the Minnesota Action Team today for a rousing game of virtual baseball with seniors at Volunteers of America's Southwest Center, located at 3612 Bryant Ave. S. in Minneapolis.
This fun, intergenerational competition featuring Nintendo Wii gaming technology is aimed at engaging both the minds and bodies of older adults to promote overall health and wellness. The Virtual Baseball Challenge, which begins at 12:30 p.m., also may rekindle a passion for playing sports for some senior participants. Joining the ballplayers will be local high school students from the Minnesota Action Team, part of a national youth volunteer program administered by Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust.
Volunteers of America's Southwest Center serves the neighboring Minneapolis community through a wide variety of programs, services and volunteer opportunities that support the health and independence of older adults. The Center strives to be a welcoming environment where seniors feel comfortable socializing and learning ways to enhance their physical and mental health. Southwest's current programs and services include health and nutrition programs, including senior dining; exercise classes; health screenings, including blood pressure and blood sugar checks; diabetes club; presentations on assorted wellness topics; a variety of educational and cultural events; volunteer opportunities; caregiver support services; social work services for Medicare, housing, financial and legal issues; and "DayElders" adult day service.
Administered by Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust, the Action Team program encourages young people throughout the United States to volunteer in their communities. Action Teams, consisting of Major League Baseball players and Team Captains from area high schools, are working together in cities nationwide to encourage young people to get involved in their communities by volunteering. To date, Action Teams of high school students and Major Leaguers across the country have inspired more than 14,000 high school students to help more than 60,000 people in need by volunteering in their communities. The Action Team program also includes a school-based curriculum developed by the Players Trust in partnership with The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition that carries the message of volunteerism and teaches valuable community service skills to 700,000 high school students in more than 5,000 classrooms across the United States.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
The Major League Baseball Players Trust partnered with Volunteers of America in 2002 to promote the nurturing and well-being of America's children and their families. The partnership features the personal involvement of Major League baseball players and their families with a variety of programs conducted by Volunteers of America throughout the United States. Also, together they administer the Action Team, a national youth volunteer program currently inspiring the next generation of volunteers in Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Mobile, New York City, Oakland, Seattle, Philadelphia, Portland (ME), San Francisco and Washington D.C. For more information about the Major League Baseball Players Trust, visit http://www.mlbplayers.com/.
VOLUNTEEERS OF AMERICA
Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Through thousands of human service programs, including housing and healthcare, Volunteers of America helps more than 2 million people in over 400 communities. Since 1896, our ministry of service has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Our work touches the mind, body, heart-and ultimately the spirit-of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. For more information about Volunteers of America, visit http://www.volunteersofamerica.org/ .
VOLUNTEEERS OF AMERICA - MINNESOTA
Volunteers of America-Minnesota is a nonprofit organization founded in 1896 which offers a wide variety of services to more than 27,000 children, adolescents and their families, students, older adults, persons with disabilities and special needs, and ex-offenders each year. It is one of the oldest, largest and most comprehensive human service organizations in the state and has more than 60 programs, 700 employees and 4,000 volunteers. Volunteers of America has a rich history of developing innovative, quality programs to meet emerging social issues and prides itself on sponsoring programs which are able to articulate explicitly the outcomes achieved in its program participants' lives. For more information about Volunteers of America-Minnesota, visit http://www.voamn.org/, or call (952) 945-4000.
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