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EDITOR'S UPDATE

MLB names Angels Honorary Bat Girl Winner is Rebecca Hultquist of Orange, a breast cancer survivor  Published: May, 2009

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Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure have announced Orange resident and longtime Angels fan Rebecca Hultquist as the winner of the ‘Honorary Bat Girl’ contest, a campaign to recognize incredible MLB fans who are going to bat against breast cancer in their daily lives.  All 30 Clubs will hosted ‘Honorary Bat Girl’ during scheduled Mother’s Day celebrations; visiting teams on Mother’s Day will select another date in May to honor their ‘Honorary Bat Girl.’ The initiative was developed to raise additional awareness and support for the annual ‘Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer’ program, a joint partnership between MLB and Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization. Hultquist was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 when she was only 33 years old. She endured an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, surgery and radiation treatments.  A mother of three young daughters, she and her husband always maintained a positive outlook. Hultquist recovered, and has since then devoted much of her time to volunteering with the Komen Orange County Affiliate and educating others about her breast cancer experience, encouraging young women to be advocates of their own breast health. “We are proud to honor these inspiring people who are supporting the fight against breast cancer,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig.  “As a social institution, Major League Baseball is making every attempt to raise awareness about the disease while recognizing the men and women living with its effects. We salute each ‘Honorary Bat Girl’ as they help us celebrate Mother’s Day in this special way.” “Major League Baseball’s partnership and support over the years has been vital in enabling us to move forward in our promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever,” said Katrina McGhee, vice president, global partnerships at Komen for the Cure. “All of the ‘Honorary Bat Girls’ and nominees are a living testament to the power of one person making a difference and inspiring others to take action.” MLB and Susan G. Komen for the Cure launched an online search to find an ‘Honorary Bat Girl’ for each Club. Fans from across the country have been sharing their stories of inspiration and hope and how they are supporting the fight against breast cancer. More than 1,000 testimonials were submitted online at MLB.com, by breast cancer survivors, advocates and supporters of the cause, and one winner per Club was selected by a panel of judges and nearly 2.2 million fan votes. On Mother's Day, more than 300 Major League Baseball players used pink bats produced by Louisville Slugger, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, stamped with the MLB breast cancer logo.  Many players also wore pink wristbands and the symbolic pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness will be displayed on player uniforms, as well as on all on-field personnel. Dugout lineup cards also were printed in pink.  In addition to promotional support, Major League Baseball Charities has committed $50,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats will be auctioned off on MLB.com at a later date to raise additional funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  Fans can purchase their own personalized pink bat at MLB.com or slugger.com, with $10 from the sale of each bat benefiting Komen for the Cure. One player from each Club served as a representative on Mother’s Day, and most have personally experienced the effects breast cancer has had on their families.  These players include Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim P Jered Weaver (mother survived breast cancer), Houston Astros 1B Lance Berkman (aunt survived breast cancer) and Baltimore Orioles OF Nick Markakis (mother survived breast cancer). The celebrity panel that helped select the ‘Honorary Bat Girl’ winners consisted of MLB players and MLB Network talent.  New York Yankees 1B/OF Nick Swisher is an advocate of fighting all forms of cancer.  In 2007, Swisher grew his hair out to donate it to create free wigs for women dealing with hair loss from cancer treatment.  Today, Swisher continues to participate in the on-field activities of MLB’s “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer.”  MLB Network analyst Mitch Williams’ mother survived breast cancer and he is still involved in helping charities associated with the disease.  MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac’s mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  Berkman and Markakis were also part of the celebrity panel.

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