Orioles CF ADAM JONES is "featured in a national public service announcement with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America that was unveiled" yesterday. The PSA "was filmed earlier this season at the Brooklyn O'Malley Boys & Girls Club in Baltimore." Jones "has long focused his off-the-field philanthropic work to Baltimore area Boys and Girls clubs." Growing up in San Diego, Jones "was a member of the Encanto Boys & Girls Club and credits the organization for helping him prepare" for success. In each of the past three seasons, Jones "has donated to help refurnish the buildings" (Baltimore SUN, 5/12).
UNFORTUNATE HAPPENINGS: Arizona State Univ.'s risk management division awarded Tempe city councilman DAVID SCHAPIRA $76,342 yesterday, about eight months after Sparky, the school mascot "accidentally injured him during halftime of a football game." ASU was "set to honor city leaders on the field during the Sept. 18 game last year, and Sparky snuck up behind Schapira and jumped onto his back as he was posing for a sideline photo" (ESPN.com, 5/11).
SPECIAL BOND: Six-year-old Red Sox fan MAVERICK SCHUTTE "was at Fenway Park" yesterday to thank DH DAVID ORTIZ for hitting a home run last month specifically for him. Schutte "accompanied Ortiz for batting practice, then appeared with him on MLB Network." He "even took a few swings at balls pitched to him by Ortiz before throwing out the first pitch prior" to the game. Schutte "has had 30 surgical procedures because of a congenital heart defect" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/12).
THE GOOD STUFF: Steelers RB and former Panthers player DEANGELO WILLIAMS "will be back in Charlotte" this weekend. Williams, through his foundation and the Triple-A Int'l League Charlotte Knights, will "host an event Saturday providing mammography screenings for low-income, under-insured or uninsured women" in the area. The "53 Strong for Sandra" event is "named after Williams' mother, SANDRA HILL, who passed away" in '14 at the age of 53. The goal "is to screen 53 women" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 5/12).
NAMES: NFL Network's BRIAN BILLICK, Ravens coach JOHN HARBAUGH and Steelers coach MIKE TOMLIN will be “among the special guests at ‘A Night of Heroes: Champions and Survivors,’ a fundraising reception for the There Goes My Hero Foundation” next Thursday at Baltimore Harbor Hotel. Former NFLers JAMES TRAPP, MA’AKE KEMOEATU and CHRIS KEMOEATU will also be in attendance (Baltimore SUN, 5/12)....Rangers P COLE HAMELS’ eponymous foundation on Tuesday “announced a donation of over $35,000 in grants to support education in the Dallas community” (DALLASNEWS.com, 5/11)....Syracuse Univ. yesterday announced a new Bachelor of Science in Sport Analytics degree -- the first of its kind in the country -- to provide students with a deep understanding of the subjects integral to sport analytics (Syracuse)....Former NFLer and Univ. of Michigan player CHARLES WOODSON yesterday spoke “at a special meet-and-greet event to promote his TwentyFour brand of wine in Ann Arbor” (MLIVE.com, 5/11).
