San Jacinto College baseball raises more than $3,100 for Angel Flight South Central

To date, SJC has raised more than $8,000 for Angel Flight

HOUSTON – San Jacinto College raised more than $3,100 for Angel Flight South Central (formerly Grace Flight of America) in the third annual Play Pink game for breast cancer awareness. San Jac lost the opener of a doubleheader against Angelina College, 4-3, but came back to win the second game 7-2, on Saturday March 24, 2012.

The Play Pink game, and Angel Flight and breast cancer awareness in particular, hit home for the San Jacinto College baseball team, as Assistant Coach Jimmy Durham lost his wife, Michele, to breast cancer eight years ago. At the time, Durham was on the coaching staff at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, New Mexico. While Michele was being treated in Houston, the couple used the services of Angel Flight (then Grace Flight of America) to fly Michele and the Durham family to and from New Mexico and Houston free of charge. The San Jacinto College Play Pink event is a way for the team to bring awareness about breast cancer to the community and to raise money for Angel Flight.

The San Jac baseball team sold barbeque plates, raffled a pink Louisville Slugger bat autographed by the squad, held a silent auction, and accepted monetary donations at the gate to raise money for Angel Flight. San Jac players and coaches sported jerseys with pink San Jac logos, and breast cancer survivor, Melissa Wellmann, threw out the first pitch.

“This event is one we look forward to every year,” noted Head Coach Tom Arrington, who is now in his 12^th year at the helm of the San Jac baseball program. “Our assistant coach DJ Wilson is really the driving force behind organizing this event. We thank everyone who came out to the game, and are grateful for their support.”

To date, San Jacinto College has raised more than $8,000 for Angel Flight in support of its mission to provide free transportation for people in need of critical medical treatment not available to them locally.

San Jacinto College (21-16, 15-7) heads to Tyler this weekend to face Tyler Junior College, Bossier Parish Community College, and Paris Junior College. The team returns home on Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at 6 p.m. against Blinn College.

All San Jac baseball home games are played at John Ray Harrison Field located on the San Jacinto College North Campus at 5800 Uvalde Road in Houston. For more information about the San Jacinto College baseball program, visit www.sanjacsports.com. All San Jac athletics home games can be heard live online, powered by Legacy Sports Network, the official Internet radio broadcast partner of San Jac athletics.

About Angel Flight South Central
Angel Flight South Central encourages America’s General Aviation pilots to volunteer their skills to provide free transportation for people in need of critical medical treatment not available to them locally. Every year Angel Flight pilots fly thousands of “missions” making it possible for people to access lifesaving medical care, which would otherwise be unavailable to them. Our volunteer pilots provide this transportation at no cost to the patients or passengers. Since 1991, our pilots have flown more than 30,000 missions and have contributed more than $30 million to this effort. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.angelflightsc.org, call 972-755-0433, or email info@angelflightsc.org.