TOMS RIVER – Thirteen local charities will receive $43,000 in grants thanks to Home Runs for Heroes, a program between OceanFirst Foundation of Toms River, Townsquare Media and the Lakewood BlueClaws.
Grants from Home Runs for Heroes offer financial support to charities that meet emergency basic needs of veterans and local service men and women who are active or retired, as well as their families, during difficult times.
During baseball season, each charity partner is tied to an inning at a BlueClaws game at FirstEnergy Park, and every home run hit by a player earns them a $1,000 donation. Now in its 9th year, the Home Runs for Heroes program has awarded local charities over $260,000.
For every home run the BlueClaws hit, charity partners received $1,000 to go toward helping veterans and their families during difficult times. (Photo courtesy Lakewood BlueClaws)
“The 2017 season was a great success and we’re delighted that the BlueClaws hit lots of home runs resulting in a $43,000 donation by OceanFirst Foundation. We thank the BlueClaws organization and Townsquare Media for giving us the opportunity to work together to bring much needed relief to local military families with special needs,” said Katherine Durante, Executive Director of OceanFirst Foundation.
On Friday, September 29 OceanFirst Foundation executives will be at FirstEnergy Park at 11 a.m. to personally hand out grants to the following Home Runs for Heroes charity partners:
- American Recreational Military Services (A.R.M.S.) – $1,000
- American Red Cross – $8,000
- Army Emergency Relief – $1,000
- Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton (Emergency Services) – $5,000
- Chariot Riders (Horses for Heroes) – $4,000
- Citizens Veterans Advisory Committee – $1,000
- GI Go Fund – $4,000
- Jewish Federation/Take the Wheel – $4,000
- Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund – $3,000
- Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society/Lakehurst – $4,000
- New Jersey National Guard State Family Readiness Council – $1,000
- Operation First Response – $2,000
- VetGroup – $5,000
