D-backs & Downtown partners invite public to party and help Foundation for Blind Children
There is nothing in America like Opening Day of a new baseball season and there is no better way to celebrate it than gathering with friends and family to tailgate before the first pitch. CityScape in downtown Phoenix will be the center of activity all week long, culminating in a Friday afternoon tailgate party as the Arizona Diamondbacks open the home season against the Cincinnati Reds at 6:40 p.m. on April 8 at Chase Field.
The warm-up begins Monday when the D-backs open a three-game series in Wrigley Field against Chicago Cubs. The three day-games will be televised daily beginning at 11 a.m. on a large-screen television in Patriots Square at CityScape.
On Friday, the party really begins. D-backs fans who are attending the game, or who just want to be close to the action and enjoy the festivities associated with Opening Day, are invited to attend a free public celebration in downtown Phoenix.
Friday’s events at CityScape begin at 11 a.m. with live music, including a 30-minute musical set by Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers from 12-12:30 p.m. T-shirt giveaways will occur throughout the day, along with interactive speed pitch and t-ball activities.
At 3:30 p.m. the public is invited to attend an Opening Day tailgate party, “Ditch the Grind For the Blind” – presented by the D-backs, FOX Sports Arizona, the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, and CityScape’s RED Development.
For a $100 donation to Foundation for Blind Children, fans can get a ticket to the game, free food, beer and/or sodas, parking, live music and pre-game festivities. If you already have a ticket to the game, a $50 donation is accepted for the VIP party, parking and fun. People can reserve a spot by contacting Barbara Smith at 602-331-7901.
“We’re proud to have such wonderful community partners where we can enjoy America’s pastime while helping Arizona’s blind children,” said Marc Ashton, CEO of Foundation for Blind Children.
Even if fans do not choose to make a donation to the charity, the public can enjoy food from Oakville Grocery, listen to live music, enjoy the Beer Garden and celebrate Opening Day before heading to the game. For those who don’t have tickets, the party will continue and the FOX Sports Arizona game broadcast will be shown live on a large-screen television in the park at CityScape. Post-game festivities will begin following the final out, including an extended Opening-Night fireworks display from Chase Field.
“CityScape was built with this kind of day in mind,” said Jeff Moloznik of RED Development. “We are happy to provide the location to host this event and support the D-backs, their great fans, and help everyone share in the fun of Opening Day, while supporting a great cause like Foundation for Blind Children. We want to make this an annual tradition.”
Downtown Voices Coalition 