The Cedar Rapids Kernels were awarded Minor League Baseball's John H. Johnson President's Trophy. The President's Trophy is MiLB's top award and is presented annually to honor the complete baseball franshise-based on franchise stability, contributions to league stabililty, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of the baseball industry. Cedar Rapids has had professional baseball since 1890 and the Kernels have been in the Midwest League since 1962.
The Kernels were extremely valuable to their community in 2008 when flooding was devestating parts of the city. Approximately 20% of Cedar Rapids was ravaged by the floods, and the clubs stadium parking lot served as a stagiang area for the National Guard, FEMA, and city officials and emergency vehicles.
The Kernels assisted many charitible organizations, raised over $60,000 in flood relief, collected 12,000 pounds of food, allowed local organizations to host or relocate events to their ballpark, and opened luxury suites during games to fans that had been forced to evacuate thier homes to go to shelters.
"The Kernels organization is appreciative and humbled to win this prestigous award from Minor League Baseball", stated Cedar Rapids General Manager Jack Roeder. "We will dedicate this award to the citizens of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Our friends and neighbors have shown, and continue to demonstrate thier spirit, determination and enthusiasm in the face of the unbelievable destruction brought on by the devastating floods in June of 2008."
Roeder and his staff maintained thier usual community acivities, despited taking on the extra burdens. The most prominent of these is the Kernels Foundation, which uses it's funds to help build recreational facilities and programs in the area.
The Kernels are the class A affiliate of the California Angels, er, I mean the Los Angelas Angels of Anahiem.
Lucia Dvorska
Ariel Meredith
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That's cool!
Dyhard
Germantown, WI
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A well deserved award! It often happens that the "minor league" teams do more for their host regions than their "major league" counterparts - plus there are many more minor league clubs. Thus this means more to me - and to others? - than a major league club winning a comparable award.
Appleseed
Detroit, MI
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