Best Days at the Park

              What is the best themed night around in minor league baseball parks? The answer is simple: Autism Awareness Night. Autism Awareness Night is held each year. At every minor league organization park, to help give back to the community.

             On Autism Awareness Night, the players and coaches custom jerseys will be auctioned off and the auction winners will have the opportunity to get their jersey signed by the player or coach who wore it after the game. The auction will benefit different organizations in each city where that teams is located. With 1 in 110 children in the United States having some form of autism. Half of each ticket sold, sponsor donations and proceeds from the silent auction will be donated to different organizations.

 Some teams will team up with Autism Speaks to increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders as well as advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Autism Speaks has grown into the worlds leading autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism. Last year's events earned the highest amount to date, which benefited many autism services around the United States.

          The entire Birmingham Barons, affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, team will sport special autism jerseys designed with the trademark autism puzzle pieces. Baron’s team members will sign the jerseys and will then be auctioned off at the end of each night. "The Birmingham Barons have been a pleasure to work with throughout the years. Our families always enjoy a night out at the ballgame, and this event will bring more autism awareness to our area," says Melanie Jones, Executive Director of the Autism Society of Alabama. The Autism Society of Alabama's staff will be present both evenings to take bids and to hand out information on autism spectrum disorders. "This is a great opportunity for us to meet and interact with some of the families that we work with on a regular basis," says Jessica Charlton, Resource Manager at the Autism Society of Alabama.

        This is not the first partnership between the Barons and the Autism Society of Alabama. The Autism Society had the pleasure of throwing out the first pitch of the 2010 baseball season at Regions Park and also hosts its annual Walk for Autism in the facility." We are proud to partner with the Autism Society of Alabama in hosting this jersey auction during our upcoming Barons series. We hope this fundraiser will not only raise money for the Autism Society, but will also help those in the autism and Asperger's syndrome community," said Jonathan Nelson, General Manager of the Birmingham Barons.