10-5-2012
At the beginning of the baseball season, CBS owned Philadelphia sports station WIP?s Angelo Cataldi told the American Heart Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania that he would donate $10 per homerun hit this season in honor of Richie Ashburn Memorial Homeruns for Hearts event held annually. The 2012 Phillies hit 158 homeruns so his donation was made for $1580. Here he is with the big check.
The Homeruns for Hearts event was designed to give ordinary citizens the chance to live out their major league dreams. It made its debut in 1997, after the sudden passing of Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn, who succumbed to heart disease. In addition, the event also honors longtime Phillies announcer Harry Kalas, who also died of heart disease in 2009.
Proceeds from Home Runs for Heart benefit the local research and community education efforts of the American Heart Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Held annually at Citizen?s Bank Park, Home Runs for Heart is a derby contest (batting only) that enables participants to step up to home plate and swing for the fences. After batting and catching fly balls in the outfield or ?shagging,? participants can visit the Phils? Club House, take a tour of the facility, pose for pictures with the Phillies Ball Girls and meet the Phillies Phanatic. In addition, the team, individual man and individual woman with the most home runs and the most points (based on distance) received prizes and special recognition.
