The Louisville Bats will honor military veterans at every Sunday home game during their upcoming season.
Louisville’s minor-league baseball team, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, will wear special digital camouflage jerseys to benefit the Kentucky-Indiana Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America in every Sunday game at Louisville Slugger Field in 2015. The jerseys, which will be provided by Koetter Construction, will be auctioned off after the season with 100 percent of the proceeds being donated to the local PVA chapter.
The mission of the Kentucky-Indiana PVA chapter, a non-profit organization, is to improve the quality of life of United States Military Veterans and others with spinal cord dysfunction through the use of advocacy, research, sports and recreation, education and communication.
“The partnership with the Louisville Bats and Koetter Construction will give us the exposure we so desperately need,” Kevin Sparks, President of the Kentucky-Indiana Chapter of the PVA, said in a press release. “Our hope is when fans see a camouflage uniform at a Bats game or anywhere else, or sign for Koetter Construction, that they immediately think of our paralyzed veterans here in the Louisville and Kentuckiana area.”
Added Bob Koetter Jr., president of Floyds Knobs, Ind.-based Koetter Construction: “Koetter Construction is very proud to partner with the Bats and sponsor the Sunday military camouflage jerseys as a fundraiser to support the Paralyzed Veterans of America. We have been a past supporter of the PVA because we like to show our appreciation of our veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
“I would hope that these camouflage jerseys will remind people to thank a veteran, especially those who have come back missing limbs or being paralyzed from an accident while fighting for our freedom. I also hope people will support the PVA financially by participating in the auction at the end of the season.”
The Bats’ new uni tops will be unveiled during their press conference, in which the club will introduce new manager Delino DeShields, at noon Wednesday at Slugger Field.
For more information about the camo jerseys visit www.batsbaseball.com, or for more information about the local chapter of the PVA visit www.kipva.org.
Photo courtesy of the Louisville Bats Facebook Page
