City of Columbia Missouri

P.O. BOX 6015
COLUMBIA, MO 65205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 17, 2012

CONTACT: Mallory Rusch, The Mission Continues, 314-306-8945
Geoff Goldman, FOX Sports Midwest, 314-206-7020

The Mission Continues and Fox Sports Midwest ask Volunteers to "Step Up to the Plate"

(COLUMBIA, MO) -

Nearly 150 volunteers will work together on Saturday, April 28, 2012, to refurbish the Rainbow Softball Center in the City of Columbia's Cosmo Park. Working side-by-side, veteran and civilian volunteers will be asked to help install new fence crown on the softball fields; trim and cut trees behind the fields; mulch and replant landscaping beds; lay pea gravel in playground areas; paint the ticket booth, batting cages and dugouts; and construct new picnic tables and benches.

For the second year in a row, The Mission Continues and FOX Sports Midwest are teaming up to facilitate three large-scale service projects in the region. The volunteer-led "Summer Service Slam" campaign will launch in Columbia, with broadcaster and former Cardinals pitcher Al Hrabosky in attendance. FOX Sports Midwest is using Cardinals telecasts to recruit volunteers for the project and will be onsite on April 28 to tape and share the story of the project with viewers.

Mission Continues Fellowship Program Alumnus Nick Holman will lead the project, with support from Fellowship Program Alumnus James Casey, securing volunteers and logistics for the day. Nick deployed to Iraq from December 2006 to February 2008 and served his Mission Continues Fellowship with the Central Missouri Humane Society while attending classes at Mizzou. James served three deployments with the 307th Psychological Operations Company and served his Mission Continues Fellowship with The Mission Continues National Headquarters.

The Summer Service Slam project is a three-event campaign, launching in Columbia, followed by a project in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Belleville, Il. For more information on how to get involved, please visit: https://missioncontinues.com/events_calendar/details/FSMWColumbia.

About The Mission Continues

The Mission Continues challenges veterans to serve and lead in communities across America. The organization was founded by former US Navy SEAL Eric Greitens in 2007 when he returned from his final deployment to Iraq, fueled by the deep belief that veterans are civic assets.   The Mission Continues offers six-month community service fellowships to veterans, awarding over 350 fellowships to date.  The organization does not offer charity; rather, it challenges returning service members to utilize their tremendous skills and leadership to continue serving our country at home.  For more information, please visit http://www.missioncontinues.org.

About FOX Sports Midwest

FOX Sports Midwest, a regional sports television network, is the leading provider of local sports in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, reaching more than 6 million cable and satellite television homes. FOX Sports Midwest telecasts more than 2000 hours of live local programming each year, including St. Louis Cardinals baseball, St. Louis Blues hockey and Mizzou athletics. FOX Sports is the nation's leading provider of local sports. Through its 19 owned-and-operated regional networks, FOX Sports serves as the TV home to more than half of all MLB, NHL and NBA teams. For more information please visit FOXSportsMidwest.com.



City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.

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