Charleston Single-A team will play in wake of church shooting, donate proceeds to charity
After a tragic shooting Wednesday night that left nine dead at a historic African-American church in Charleston, S.C., the local minor-league baseball team has announced that it will play as scheduled Thursday and donate proceeds from the game to a charity set up by the city.
[From Yahoo News: Live updates on Charleston church shooting]
The Charleston RiverDogs, the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, announced their decision after meeting with city officials in the aftermath of the shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The ballclub announced Thursday afternoon:
“We all personally feel the grief of the horrifying tragedy that struck our community last night,” said RiverDogs General Manager Dave Echols. “Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims involved and with the law enforcement agencies working tirelessly in the wake of last night’s appalling and shocking event.”
Following consultation with city officials, the team has announced that their regularly-scheduled games at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park will continue as scheduled starting Thursday at 7:05 p.m. against the West Virginia Power. The RiverDogs continue to work with Mayor Joseph Riley, local law enforcement agencies and leaders of the church. They have determined that proceeds from tonight’s game will go into the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund, which was established by the city in the wake of this tragedy.
“We feel it is our duty not to let the acts of one radical human being dictate our lives,” added Echols. “The RiverDogs will continue on as scheduled in hopes of providing a sense of normalcy and comfort to the Lowcountry. We understand the donation is a small gesture during this terrible time; one for the families of the victims, the church family, and the entire community.”
The RiverDogs are also planning a moment of silence prior Thursday prior to the game.
As we’ve learned time and time again, sports may not help people heal in the aftermath of a tragedy, but they can bring a community together. And that’s a step in the right direction.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
