Joe Maddon Receives Ted Williams Award for Philanthropic Work

St. Petersburg, Fla. – December 10, 2012 – Today, Nancy Crane, Executive Director of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, presented Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon with the Ted Williams Award at Tropicana Field at the annual Thanksmas staff lunch. The Ted Williams award was created to recognize individuals whose love of the great outdoors is only surpassed by their commitment to making a difference in the community. In honor of the incredible accomplishments Ted Williams made beyond the baseball diamond and in children’s lives, the Pediatric Cancer Foundation bestows this award to individuals who embody that spirit and who continue to make a significant impact on the community.

For the first time in the history of this award, the Pediatric Cancer Foundation chose two deserving individuals. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Wade Davis received the award in October at The Yerrid Foundation Grand Slam Celebrity Fishing Tournament presented by Bonefish Grill. Davis and Maddon encompass what the Ted Williams award represents.

In 2006, Maddon launched his annual “Thanksmas” celebration, a charitable event during which the needy are given a taste of Maddon’s own spaghetti-and-meatball sauce. Thanksmas has become one of the most effective charitable efforts of the Tampa Bay area with over 5,000 meals served to individuals in the Tampa Bay community. In 2011, Maddon founded the Hazleton Integration Project in his hometown of Hazleton, PA. Its mission is to provide educational, cultural, and athletic opportunities for economically disadvantaged children and families.

In March 2012, Maddon shaved his head with 60 players, coaches, and staff from the Tampa Bay Rays for the 3^rd Annual Bright House Networks Cut for a Cure presented by Carrabba’s Italian Grill benefiting the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Vinny Lecavalier Foundation. These are just a few examples of Maddon’s philanthropic work and dedication to the Tampa Bay community and beyond.

Past recipients of the Ted William Award include:

1998 – Curt Gowdy

1999 – Steve Yerrid

2000 – Dr. Cameron Tebbi

2001 – Frank Sargeant

2002 – Wade Boggs

2003 – Stu Apte

2004 – John Havlicek

2005 – Chuck LaMar

2006 – Brad Richards

2007 – Bill Miller

2008 – John Tortorella

2009 – Steve Stanley

2010 – Melissa Helms

2011 – Vincent Lecavalier

2012 – Wade Davis

2012 – Joe Maddon

Photos available upon request.

About Pediatric Cancer Foundation:

With its national headquarters in Tampa, the Pediatric Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer through the Sunshine Project, the Foundation’s collaborative research initiative. By employing doctors and researchers from the country’s top institutions, the Sunshine Project is fast-tracking the development of new drugs and therapies that will ultimately lead to the cure of childhood cancers.  For more information, go to www.fastercure.org.