Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raider Baseball To Help Aid Tulane
January 25, 2006 | Baseball
Jan. 25, 2006
LUBBOCK, Texas - TeamMates for Red Cross brings Red Raider Baseball and the American Red Cross together in an effort to build a stronger and better prepared community, while also providing assistance to Tulane University students impacted by Hurricane Katrina. This exciting program allows donors to make a pledge based on the number of home runs hit by the Red Raiders this season.
"In the past year, the Red Cross partnered with the entire South Plains to reach out to individuals impacted by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Lubbock provided shelter to many of the survivors and Texas Tech reached out to students from Tulane University," said Rex Castle, American Red Cross Board Chair.
Coach Hays, and his team, provided a temporary home to the Tulane University Baseball team this past Fall. The team attended classes at Texas Tech, practiced at Tech facilities and prepared for the season.
"It's gratifying, but based on the way we were treated there this fall, certainly not surprising at all," said Tulane Head Coach Rick Jones. "The bond between Tulane baseball and Texas Tech will be everlasting. It's ongoing, and this is just another example of the unbelievable generosity that was extended to us. At the end of the day, they had a major impact on saving us as a program."
"I'm sure I speak for everyone at Tulane University and the Tulane Athletic Department when I say we will forever be indebted to Texas Tech."
The local chapter of the American Red Cross continues to assist hundreds of Hurricane Katrina survivors who remain in Lubbock. Through TeamMates for Red Cross, Red Raider fans can partner with the American Red Cross and Texas Tech Baseball to help provide assistance to Tulane University students, while also building a strong and prepared local community.
This year, all proceeds from TeamMates for Red Cross will be equally split between a fund to assist Tulane University students and programs that benefit the local American Red Cross Chapter.
"I can think of no better way Red Raider baseball fans can show their support of TTU Baseball than by making a pledge to TeamMates for Red Cross," said Jimmy Castillo, Assistant Executive Director.
"Each time a home run is hit, the Red Raiders will benefit the local community be prepared, while helping our new friends from Tulane University."
Paid pledges for TeamMates for Red Cross will receive special collectable Red Raider Baseball items based on level of support.
The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Press Conference Quotes
Ysidro Guiterrez
Representative from Red Cross
On the TeamMates Program
"Thank you. It is a privilege to be here today. First off I would like to talk about TeamMates and then I get to introduce Coach (Larry Hays) and it is kind of like being back in the army, introducing the top man. This is our second year for TeamMates and it is always better the second time around. We are going to have more homeruns and fun. Everyone is familiar with the hurricane disaster in New Orleans. Well, at that time the Tulane University baseball program had to relocate to Texas Tech. And when that happened we were here in Lubbock at the Lubbock chapter of the American Red Cross and we had an opportunity to do something unique and that was to connect with the ball players. And we want to maintain that connection. So this year, as the second year of TeamMates, what we would like to do is to raise funds that are not only going to benefit the local Red Cross and serve the citizens of the Red Cross region here in the South Plains but also Tulane University and specifically the Tulane University baseball program. We also had a connection with some of the other students from Tulane that came to stay here in Lubbock during the Katrina disaster. Most of you already know that they stayed here through the semester and at the end of the semester they did what American Red Cross strives to do with all disaster victims everywhere, regardless of what the circumstances may be, and that is to get them back home. There is nothing more reassuring and more restorative than returning home and this is what we solved with the students from Tulane and the baseball players from the Tulane program. The TeamMates program is about homeruns. For every homerun that is hit the person that signs a pledge card will be able to contribute to the Red Cross and half of the proceeds for the rest of the season with go to the Tulane baseball program. Now here is a little twist to this program, and that is that on February 11th there is going to be a show down at high noon at the Minute Maid Park in Houston where Texas Tech University is going to take on Tulane baseball and it turns out that the more homeruns that Texas Tech University hit the greater the benefit will be to Tulane as well as the Red Cross here locally. So I think that all of these things make the TeamMates program very much worth while for those who would like to participate in TeamMates we invite them to do so."
Larry Hays
Texas Tech Head Coach
On the TeamMates Program and American Red Cross
"Thank you so much. I think I am going to talk to Coach Jones (Tulane Head Coach) and try to point out to him the benefit of serving up some gofer balls so that we can really help those guys out. I am sure he will go for that. A year ago I was honored that we became TeamMates with the American Red Cross and I was proud of that. I knew a lot of good things about the American Red Cross. Look at what has happened this last year. Despite all of the concern of what you feel when you are sitting there watching television and you see disaster victims, there is a little pride there when you see the American Red Cross and to think that we are teammates with them. Can you imagine what the South Plains would be like if we didn't have a local chapter of the American Red Cross? Think about it. What would the impact be on disaster victims in this area, locally or even as we found out hundreds of miles away? How would it affect our community, our family, and our friends? And just as we mentioned, how would it affect a college student, a baseball player dislocated because of a disaster? We know the answer to all of those. We got to see that firsthand. Being prepared for disaster is what the Red Cross is all about and they need each of us. They need us as a part of their team for them to meet their mission. TeamMates for Red Cross is a way we can be on their team. If you will make a pledge today to TeamMates for Red Cross not only are you allowing the Red Cross to continue to be prepared for disaster but you are also supporting the Red Raiders and encouraging us and with what is mentioned today you will continue to help Tulane. So, Red Raider baseball and American Red Cross sounds like a good team to me. It is a team I am honored to be with."
On facing Tulane
"You always want to be on good teams and be in good situations. I was honored this year to see our team and how they felt helping Tulane, I like that. Going into a game as competitive as this game will be, and having two teams that want to beat each other and to have this thing connected to it I think will be unique. I have never been a part of that."
On working with Tulane
"We definitely had an issue with time, but to have two teams work together as well as these two teams did I think we accomplished what we needed to. Our goal was to help Tulane keep everything in tact. To be able to come down, and do what the Red Cross does all of the time, deal with disaster. I don't think our kids had ever dealt with anything like that, someone that really needs something that we can provide. To see the looks in our players eyes and that they could be a part of that I think there was a lot of pride. When the Tulane players came in and thanked our players, I had a bunch of freshmen sitting there they don't know this is unique. But when the Tulane players left, our players gave them a huge ovation and that just felt good. That is something that in my 36 years of baseball I have never had that experience before. For the cooperation that was there, I goal was to stay out of their way. I told our players to not be out there gawking at them while they were practicing and they aren't going to bother us. And we didn't bother each other. I was really impressed with their team and how they handled it. They were gracious in being here and they are a high maintenance program, they are like us, they are expecting to have a situation where they work out and get ready to go and we provided that for them. We were able to do it without any problems. We had one day that our grass looked bad. For us to go out there and you don't see the grass that we had green at Dan Law Field last year, that is a low price to pay for what we were able to accomplish. That was probably the only downer for the whole thing."
On helping Tulane
"You don't want to see people in need. But when it is over and you know that you met that need or part of that need makes you feel good. We are honored that we were a part of that. I hope we never have to do something like that again, but we know how now. Red Cross is prepared for disaster. That is the difference between their capabilities and ours."
