Gold Star Families Honored on Memorial Day;

PLAY BALL Events to Occur Over Weekend

The Kansas City Royals will host the Minnesota Twins (May 28-30) and Oakland Athletics (June 1-3). The Royals will host various youth baseball events, including the Pitch, Hit and Run (June 2), the Junior Home Run Derby (June 3) and PLAY BALL events (June 3). Royals Charities and KCP&L will also launch the Cops Are Topps program during Law Enforcement Night at Kauffman Stadium on May 29.

Please note, the start time for the game on Memorial Day, May 28 is 6:15 p.m.  The game on Saturday, June 1 has a start time of 1:15 p.m.  See below for more details.

Monday, May 28 – Minnesota Twins vs. Royals, 6:15 p.m.

• Memorial Day Tributes – The Royals will join Major League Baseball to honor those who have lost their lives during their military service to the United States. All players will wear commemorative apparel (caps, uniforms and socks) featuring special camouflage designs. In addition, special guests will participate in elements of the game including the ceremonial first pitch, Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat, Play Ball kid and other aspects of the CrownVision presentation.
• Gold Star Families Honored – More than 50 Gold Star family members will be guests of the Royals and Heroes United, a local nonprofit group dedicated to helping families who have lost a parent to war.  The group will watch Royals batting practice from the stands behind the Royals dugout before watching the game that evening.

 

Tuesday, May 29 – Minnesota Twins vs. Royals, 7:15 p.m.

• “C” You at The K presented by Darol Rodrock Foundation – Royals General Manager Dayton Moore, together with the “C” You in the Major Leagues Foundation (CYITML) and the Royals, will host area groups to join him at select games this season.  The special guests from the Police Athletic League of Kansas City will watch batting practice, enjoy dinner with Moore and watch the Royals game.  The CYITML Foundation started in January 2014 to support youth baseball, education, faith-based organizations and events and families in crisis throughout the greater Kansas City area and beyond.
• Cops Are Topps Program Launch – To celebrate the Royals Charities and KCP&L partnership with local law enforcement to distribute special Royals baseball cards to kids, Kansas City, Mo., Police Department uniformed officers will join local volunteers to distribute baseball cards to all fans at the stadium entry gates.  During pregame ceremonies, KCP&L representatives will be on-field to present an oversized, autographed baseball card to law enforcement officers. For more information, see www.royals.com/cops.

Wednesday, May 30 – Minnesota Twins vs. Royals, 7:15 p.m.

• Dream Factory – Throughout the season, the Royals grant the wishes of Dream Factory children. These youngsters, who face life-altering challenges, will meet Royals players, watch batting practice from the dugout and enjoy the game and refreshments. Their Royals experience appears on the KMBC-TV (Channel 9) 10 p.m. newscast.

 

Thursday, May 31 – Off Day

 

Friday, June 1 – Oakland Athletics vs. Royals, 7:15 p.m.

• Green Team – During select games throughout the season, local organizations and volunteers who sign up to be a part of the Royals Green Team, sponsored by Republic Services, will help collect aluminum and recyclable plastics at the stadium gates as well as throughout multiple innings of the game.  For more information see www.royals.com/greenteam.
• 50/50 Raffle presented by Edelman & Thompson – A portion of the proceeds from the nightly Royals Charities fundraiser will benefit Big Slick.  For more information, visit www.royals.com/5050.

 

Saturday, June 2 – Oakland Athletics vs. Royals, 1:15 p.m.

• Scotts MLB Pitch, Hit & Run – Young baseball and softball players take the Kauffman Stadium field from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. to compete in the team championship of the Scotts MLB Pitch, Hit & Run competition.  This spring, hundreds of thousands of children participated nationwide in the free MLB Pitch, Hit & Run competitions.  The top 24 qualifiers from Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Nebraska will compete at The K in hopes of advancing to the National Finals at the 2018 MLB All-Star Game in Washington, D.C.
• PLAY BALL Weekend Events – As a part of MLB’s PLAY BALL weekend before the game, Royals players and coaches will join preselected children in the media press room located on the clubhouse level for a special kids-only press conference.  Around 11:00 a.m., children will ask the players and coaches various questions.  Royals players will also wear Sandlot inspired PLAY BALL shirts during batting practice and youth baseball and softball will take a central focus during the pregame ceremonies prior to the game.
• Royals Welcome Wheelchair Softball Team – The Royals will host members of the Kansas City Royals Wheelchair softball team to the game. Royals Charities purchased new Royals jerseys and hats for the team to represent our city as they compete against other teams leading up to and during the 2018 Wheelchair Softball World Series set to take place this August in Kansas City.
• Kennedys to host Group from Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) – Each Saturday, pitcher Ian Kennedy and his wife, Allison, will host a group from the Kansas City area in a fully-catered Dugout Suite.  This day, guests from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) will meet Kennedy prior to the game and receive a special gift from the family.

 

Sunday, June 3 – Oakland Athletics vs. Royals, 1:15 p.m.

• Junior Home Run Derby – The Royals will host the MLB Jr. Home Run Derby Regional Competition at the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy located at 1600 John “Buck” O’Neil Way in Kansas City, Mo.  The competitors, boys and girls 14 years old and younger, earned the opportunity to compete at local competitions and will compete to win an all-expense paid trip to the National Finals during the MLB All-Star Week in Washington, D.C.  The first round of competition will begin at approximately 9:30 a.m., with the finals taking place shortly after the completion of the first round.

 

Fans may purchase tickets online at royals.com, by calling 1-800-6ROYALS, at area Price Chopper stores or at the Kauffman Stadium Box Office.

For more information, members of the media may contact the Royals Publicity Department at (816) 921-8000.