Cardinals ballgame will replace Belleville District 118 picnic fundraiser

Along with the great seats at a less-than-face-value price, one person from Belleville District 118 will throw the first pitch at a Cardinals baseball game.

The PTA Council set a Cardinals ticket fundraiser to replace the Belleville district’s parade and picnic, a longtime tradition that, the district said, was getting less support. The council hopes to raise $15,000 from the ticket sales, an amount close to that earned at the annual picnic.

The district has 1,500 tickets, at a discounted rate, to the Aug. 7 game against the Braves that they will sell for about $30 to $35, said Assistant Superintendent Ryan Boike. The council will earn a $10 profit on each ticket.

“It’s a revenue replacement, but also a nice activity,” Boike said. Informational fliers will be available at the schools next week, he said.

Promotions, such as throwing the first pitch, are built into the Sunday afternoon game against the Braves. The Cardinals promotion that day is a kids replica Matt Carpenter Batting Practice jersey to the first 12,000 children ages 15 and younger with a ticket. Games, prizes and free frozen treats are available in the Ford Plaza starting two hours before the game as well.

Craig Hayes, principal of Roosevelt Elementary, says he expects his school to make a strong showing at the game, given the participation the school has in family events and interest in the Cardinals.

“They would love to have an excuse to go,” he said of the teachers and students who are big baseball fans at the school. “We have crazy Cardinal fans here.”

Hayes said school was easily able to staff the food tent at the District 118 picnic, but a lot of the parents were no longer interested in staying at the event.

“A lot of them would pick their kids up and go to Six Flags or something like that,” he said.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Cardinals ballgame will replace Belleville District 118 picnic fundraiser."