The March 27th Professional Development luncheon featured Rachelle Madrigal and covered the importance of community partnerships.
Rachelle knows a thing or two about community partnerships and she should. She is the sales and marketing manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders. The Bradenton Marauders have the 3rd longest relationship of any Florida city team. Not to mention, The Marauders have been a staple in the Bradenton community for over 40 years.
How do The Pirates/Marauders partner with the community? For starters, The Pirate’s Community Commitment Program requires all players to commit 10 hours of community service. This isn’t just for minor league players, but for major league players as well.
Only 2% of minor league rookie’s make it to the majors. The Pirates take pride in creating well-rounded individuals in order to back up their baseball careers. The teams also have a lot of international players, offering them free English classes
“It’s our duty to give back,” says Rachelle. The teams partner with organizations such as The Boys & Girls Club and The United Way, promoting frequent benefit games, and donating a generous portion of ticket sales back to the community.
Maintaining these partnerships is huge for them. “Our sponsors get a lot of bang for their buck,” according to Rachelle. It’s a two way street to utilize and invest.
Currently, The Pirates/Marauders are looking to revitalize downtown Bradenton adding new shops, night life and best of all, parking. Recently approved is an 8 million dollar renovation to McKechnie Field. Renovations will begin May 1st for outside construction, following with inside renovations beginning this September.
No wonder why the Marauders have doubled their attendance from 2010 to 2011. They have an amazing connection with the community! If you haven’t gone to a game at McKechnie Field, we recommend that you do. It’s a great time with the family at a very affordable price.
