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MLB.com Teams with PALS Supporting Wounded Veterans

Volunteers fly vets to ball games, and even get tickets to the game.

In a new program launched this season, Major League Baseball is donating tickets, meals and hotel rooms for wounded veterans to attend baseball games. Patient Air Lift Services (PALS), based on Long Island, New York, works with MLB.com on the “PALS for Patriots” program, arranging volunteer pilots to fly the veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to the games in several major league cities.

So far veterans have enjoyed games at Boston’s Fenway Park (Red Sox), New York’s Citi Field (Mets), and Chicago’s Wrigley Field (Cubs). Trips are planned to see the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates play.

MLB.com donates the tickets, hotel rooms (for the veteran, pilot and copilot) and dinner out. The PALS pilots donate their time and aircraft expenses. PALS is a non-profit organization that specializes in arranging mercy flights for patients and their families to and from medical treatment facilities. Since it was formed three years ago, PALS has completed more than 1,800 missions.

PALS executive director Eileen Minogue praised the work of Marine First Sergeant Michael Barrett at Walter Reed for helping make the program run smoothly. She also noted that PALS board member Jim McCloud is MLB.com’s Vice President of Sponsorship Sales and has been instrumental in reaching out to major league teams in support of PALS for Patriots.

Click here to see the Mets’ third baseman, David Wright, help Army sergeant Shaun O’Brien impress his wife while on a PALS for Patriots visit.

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