Pirates Caravan makes early stop in Uniontown
The Pittsburgh Pirates Winter Caravan began spreading Christmas season cheer on Wednesday with its first outreach visit to Uniontown. Several members of the organization visited the Salvation Army service unit on West Fayette Street and served lunches to local residents before moving on to several sites in West Virginia.
Players Mike McKenry and Alex Presley, bench coach Jeff Bannister and color commentator Bob Walk arrived in late morning wearing holiday hats. The entourage also included several of the Pirates’ racing pierogi corps.
Community Relations coordinator Melissa Brozeski said the Winter Caravan was moved ahead from its usual January schedule because of the holiday season.
“This is a great time for us to get into a community-driven event during the holiday season,” Brozeski said. “The Pirates organization is very active in the communities year-round and we’re very proud of that.”
Brozeski said, “The players really see and need the support of the fans throughout the off-season and its extra important to them. Focusing on a community event is a no-brainer and December provides an opportunity to give back to the community, especially during the holiday season.”
Among the group’s stops were visits to Charleston and Morgantown, before this weekend’s Piratefest at the Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
McKenry has previously been with the Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox organizations. He said his wife, Jaclyn, has been involved in community service and this is his first chance to participate in the Pirates’ outreach program.
“I love doing this,” McKenry said. “It’s an opportunity to get out and give back to the community. The Pirates are really good at this. I’ve been with a couple organizations and this is the best at giving back to the community.”
Presley said, “It’s awesome to get out and let the fans see who you are. We can see how much support we really have when you meet the fans.”
Walk said that in addition to helping to serve lunches at the Uniontown Service Unit, the entourage will present gifts to children at a YMCA in West Virginia. “The caravan goes a different direction every year,” Walk said. “We don’t come to Uniontown every year and this is the first time I’ve been here.”
Walk said travel for the caravan is taking place in much better weather in December than if it the group traveled in January as in previous years.
He said relocating to the Convention Center has helped the Piratefest to return to being able to provide an expanded variety of fan experiences such as those it had offered when it was based in the former Monroeville Expo Mart.
McKenry compared the city of Pittsburgh and its suburbs to “a southern city in the north. Southern families care about the community in general and the players enjoy it here.”
Brozeski said, “(The Pirate organization) is very fortunate to have a good group of players (who enjoy reaching out to communities).”
Piratefest activities will take place from Friday through Sunday, and a schedule of events is available on the Pittsburgh Pirates website.