Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 30, 1995 TAG: 9508300067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ARLINGTON, TEXAS LENGTH: Short
The Texas Rangers are joining forces with The Mickey Mantle Foundation this weekend to promote organ donation.
About 30,000 Mickey Mantle donor cards will be issued at home games at The Ballpark in Arlington beginning Friday. The cards can be signed and carried by people who wish to become organ and tissue donors.
After receiving his liver transplant June 8, Mantle dedicated himself to publicizing the need for organ donation. He died Aug.13.
``This is a way major-league baseball can honor Mickey Mantle's memory and increase awareness of organ donation while undertaking a good cause,'' Rangers spokesman John Blake said Tuesday.
``It's great for us to have the Mantle family launch the program here first because this is where Mickey Mantle lived, in Dallas.''
Organ transplant recipients and donor family members will staff tables at The Ballpark to help distribute the cards that were designed to resemble a baseball trading card and include a personal message from Mantle.
At a ceremony before Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals, Mantle's wife, Merlyn, and son, Danny, will present an organ donor card to Rangers managing general partner Tom Schieffer. A video message from the Yankee great will be shown on the scoreboard.
Officials from the Southwest Organ Bank and Baylor University Medical Center, both in Dallas, also will be present.
The ceremonial first pitch before Sunday's game will be thrown by Chase McNabb, 13, of Arlington, who will represent all transplant recipients.
by CNB