Coastal Baseball Joins With New Mike Pruitt Foundation to Benefit Local Youth

CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina University’s baseball program has joined forces with a new organization, the Mike Pruitt Foundation for the Advancement of Youth Baseball in Horry County, to benefit local youth, head coach Gary Gilmore and Mike Pruitt announced today.

The foundation’s goal is to provide the financial means for 50 youth baseball players from Horry County to attend a week-long session of CCU Baseball Camp. These youngsters, ages 10-12, will be exposed to advance instruction in throwing, fielding, hitting, base running and team defense by the CCU Baseball Camp Staff. The 50 players will be chosen by the area recreation departments based, first and foremost, on financial need and then by other factors such as love for the game and overall future potential.

"Obviously, I’ve been involved a great deal in Coastal athletics," Pruitt said. "Our company has sponsored the golf tournament (General Jim Hackler Invitational) and the golf fundraising dinner as well as given to the baseball program, which has a special place in my heart as being a former member of the team. Gary (Gilmore) called me this spring with an idea to start a program that helps kids attend baseball camp that couldn’t do so without some financial help. I was more than willing to help out and maybe we’ll see some future Chanticleers on the field this summer."

Pruitt, CEO/President of Chanticleer Holdings in Charlotte, N.C., is no stranger to helping Coastal Carolina University and the Conway/Myrtle Beach community. Among its most recent involvement, Chanticleer Holdings was the title sponsor for the General Jim Hackler Invitational men’s golf tournament in March and the company was a main sponsor for baseball’s Kirt Manwaring Night April 18, in which the former Chanticleer had his jersey retired. The game also featured free food for students and raffles every half-inning.

Pruitt played baseball at Coastal from 1982-83. He had a .377 career batting average, 11 home runs, 23 stolen bases and drove in 56 runs.

"The reason we are doing this is to give economically challenged youth that have a passion for baseball an opportunity to experience advanced instruction in baseball and enjoy a camp that otherwise would not be available to them," Gilmore said.

Coastal has one more summer camp in 2007. The Youth Summer Camp II will take place at Charles Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field August 6-9. For more information on the camp, click on the Coastal Baseball Camps button on www.GoCCUSports.com/baseball.

August 2, 2007 Press Release (doc file - 28 KB)

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