All aboard

By MIKE HENRY
mhenry@bradenton.com

BRADENTON -- Before Friday's game at McKechnie Field, Pirates chairman of the board Bob Nutting and pitcher Tom Gorzelanny will present a $30,000 check on behalf of Pirates Charities to be used for the purchase of a Pirates-themed school bus for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County.

The donation will be made during an on-field pre-game ceremony before the 1:05 p.m. start against the Reds. The bus will be on display outside the main gate during the game.

More than $19,000 was raised during the inaugural Pirates Charities Spring Training Golf Classic co-chaired by Gorzelanny at River Strand, with the remainder coming from a series of silent auctions at McKechnie.

"We are extremely pleased to reaffirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the Bradenton community," said Pirates president Frank Coonelly. "This donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs, through the work of Pirates Charities, allows us to show that commitment and make a true difference in the lives of so many area youths."

"For the past 40 years, the Pirates and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County have had a strong partnership," said Carl Weeks, Boys & Girls Clubs executive director. "We are blessed to have the Pirates and Pirates Charities take an interest in children and purchase this bus so we can get more kids into our facilities."