St. Cloud, MN– The St. Cloud Rox players and coaches are keeping themselves busy between games this summer, volunteering their time at various nursing homes, youth clinics, and other locations through the first half of the season.

So far in the 2014 season, the Rox continue to make community involvement a top priority, making appearances at 10 different locations and events.

The team has spent time at four local nursing homes: Ridgeview Place LLC in Sauk Rapids, Country Manor in Sartell, Sterling Park Health Care Center in Waite Park and Talahi Senior Campus in St. Cloud. While spending time with residents, Rox players and coaches answer questions, share stories, and try to assist nursing home staff any way they can.

“It’s important to me, and a blessing, to be out in the community to represent the Rox as a team and as an organization,” said Rox Field Manager Augie Rodriguez. “As a manager, my job is to share the love and brighten anybody’s day who needs to smile.”

On June 17, members of the Rox team visited Little Saints Academy, a music-based child care center with locations in St. Joseph and St. Cloud. First-base Coach Phil Imholte, along with players Eric Loxtercamp and Tyler Deel, spent time with the preschool-aged kids on the playground before staying for lunch time to hand out posters and sign autographs.

The following day, on June 18, players Harrison Wenson, Will Craig, Dalton Sawyer and Reese Gregory, as well as mascot Chisel, traveled to True Friends-Camp Friendship near Annandale. The summer camp is one of many locations that make up True Friends, an organization whose mission is to provide life-changing experiences for children and adults with disabilities. The players offered the campers a little baseball instruction before getting everyone together for a giant game of kickball and then finished the visit by signing autographs and posing for photos.

For more extensive baseball instruction, Rox players and coaches have put on four youth baseball clinics at different locations around the area, including St. Cloud, Waite Park, Milaca, and Eden Valley. During the clinics, Rox coaches Augie Rodriguez, Tristan Toorie, JP Martinez and Phil Imholte, along with Rox players, instruct kids of multiple age-levels on proper stretching techniques, in-game situations and baseball mechanics. The team has partnered with local youth baseball associations and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota to make the clinics a success.

The team is looking forward to more community events this summer including additional youth clinics, library book readings and visits to local Boys and Girls Clubs. If you would like the Rox to visit your school or organization, contact our office at 320-240-9798 or at info@stcloudrox.com.