LANCASTER, Calif., July 30, 2018 — Grace Resources Center provided new toys to approximately 300 children at Christmas in July when the Lancaster JetHawks played the Visalia Rawhide last night. The JetHawks hosted the annual event at their baseball stadium, The Hangar, and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) served as title sponsor.
Every ticket-holding child aged 12 or younger was able to pick out a toy or book at the Toy Tent before the ballgame. Santa stopped by from his summer vacation to throw the first pitch, and his elves and he visited with spectators, threw stuffed animals, and played holiday music throughout the game. The JetHawks won, 5-4.
“Christmas in July is an event that blesses so many of our families, helping them take their minds off the fact that they are in need,” said Steve Baker, executive director of Grace Resources Center. “This is a bright spot in their world, and we couldn’t have done this without the JetHawks, SoCalGas, and our other partners.”
“We as an organization are proud to partner with Grace Resources Center and SoCalGas for this season's Christmas in July event,” said Dylan Baker, assistant general manager for the JetHawks. “This event gives the opportunity for the less fortunate to come out and enjoy a baseball game.”
“Christmas in July reminds us that we can celebrate the spirit of giving and helping others at any time throughout the year, not just during the holiday season,” said Rob Duchow, public affairs manager at SoCalGas. “Sponsoring this event is just one of the many ways that SoCalGas gives back to the communities in which our employees live and work, and we are proud to join Grace Resources and the JetHawks in this important community outreach effort.”
A portion of ticket sales from the game will support Grace Resource’s homeless prevention programs.
Jethawks and SoCalGas employees helped distribute toys at the Toy Tent, and the utility had representatives available to provide information on its customer assistance programs. Other sponsors of Christmas in July included Keller Williams Real Estate, California Bank & Trust, and Cali Café.
About Grace Resources Center
Our Mission is to empower people to thrive with dignity, not just survive, through training, education, food, clothing, shelter, medical care and spiritual investment. 26 years ago the Antelope Valley Christian Ministerial Association (AVCMA) saw the need for a unique and powerful ministry. Being impressed of God to serve the people of their community, several pastors of the AVCMA gathered together as a steering committee to seek God’s guidance in developing a Christian resource center for the needy of the Antelope Valley, including but not limited to, a food distribution center. Steve Baker was hired as the Executive Director of this ministry and with fifteen volunteers to help him Grace Resource Center began to feed hungry people. Today we have over 30 paid staff members and over 400 volunteers serving those in poverty, near poverty, and the working poor.
About the Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks are a minor league baseball team of the California League located in Lancaster, Calif. The team is named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and plays its home games at the Hangar. The JetHawks are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Colorado Rockies and are the only California League team in Los Angeles County.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable natural gas service to 21.7 million customers across 22,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Natural gas delivered through the company’s pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians—about 60 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.
SoCalGas is committed to investing in its natural gas system infrastructure, while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2013 through 2017, the company spent nearly $6 billion to upgrade and modernize its natural gas system to enhance safety and reliability. The company is also committed to being a leader in the region’s clean energy future, and is working to accelerate the use of renewable natural gas from dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants and the development of renewable energy storage technologies. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
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