Dallas Braden Named Inaugural Recipient of Andy Prokop Community Service Award
Award to be presented at Pacific Baseball Community Night
January 13, 2011
Stockton, CA – The University of the Pacific baseball program has established an annual community service award in the name of long time community advocate and supporter of Pacific athletics, Andy Prokop. The award, which is sponsored by the Cortopossi Family, will be presented to its first ever recipient, former Stagg High and current Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden, at Pacific Baseball’s annual Community Night on February 3rd at the Hilton Stockton.
The Andy Prokop Community Service Award will be given annually to a local athlete, coach or sports booster who has exhibited outstanding volunteerism in the Stockton community. Mr. Prokop is in his twelfth year as President and CEO of the United Way of San Joaquin County where his leadership has spawned over $50 million in donations for various charities throughout San Joaquin County.
“Quite simply, Stockton is a better place to live and work because of Andy Prokop” said University of the Pacific coach Ed Sprague. “We wanted to honor him for all that he does for Pacific and everyone else around him. And I can’t think of a better first recipient than Dallas whose community spirit is second to none.”
Braden, who jettisoned onto the national sports scene after throwing Major League Baseball’s 19th perfect game on Mother’s Day, has focused his community service activities on encouraging children to achieve their athletic goals. He has purchased and donated over 1,000 A’s tickets to Stockton’s Hoover-Tyler Little League, while each year sponsoring a family with children being raised by a single mother. He is a past recipient of the Dave Stewart Community Service award given annually to an A’s player for their commitment to his community. Braden has also worked with St. Mary’s Interfaith Services in Stockton to provide food for the needy, personally collecting and distributing thousands of pounds of food at Thanksgiving.
Braden will be in attendance to receive the award at Pacific Baseball Community Night along with his team’s general manager Billy Beane, who is the evening’s keynote speaker. Beane, whom Sports Illustrated named one of the ten best executives in all of professional sports, is the subject of the Michael Lewis bestseller book Moneyball, soon to be a major motion picture starring academy award winner Brad Pitt. As part of the festivities, former all-star and Stockton native Eddie Guardado will be honored for his achievements during his 17 year major league career.
For more information or to purchase tickets for Pacific Baseball Community Night, which is sponsored by the Paulsen Family and New York Life, please contact us here.
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