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Joel Hanrahan today was named the Washington Nationals recipient of the 2008 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy. He is one of 30 Major League Club nominees for the national 2008 Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who combines outstanding skills on the baseball field with devoted work in the community. Tomorrow will mark the seventh annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball in 2002 to honor the legacy of Roberto Clemente.The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy is part of Chevy's official sponsorship of Major League Baseball, and recognizes those players who best represent the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions to their teams. The award is named for Clemente, a 12-time All-Star and Hall of Famer who died on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. This award perpetuates Clemente's legacy and character by recognizing current-day players who truly understand the value of helping others.Fans are encouraged to participate in the selection of the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy. From Sept. 3rd through Oct. 3rd, 2008, fans can log on to www.chevy.com/clemente and vote for one of the 30 Club nominees.Joel Hanrahan, in his second year with the Nationals, has become an active member of the Washington community. Joel began a partnership with the American Red Cross this past summer, to raise awareness and funds in the DC Metropolitan Area for the organization's disaster relief efforts. An Iowa native, Joel adopted this cause when he saw the devastation created by the June floods in the Midwest Region. He mobilized an aggressive fundraising campaign that included television and radio PSAs, collections at the Nationals Park gates during a June homestand, and an on-line auction with valuable game-used items and experience packages for which Joel and other Nationals players donated their time.In addition to his work with the American Red Cross, Joel was an integral part of the 2008 Man & Woman of the Year Campaign benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - National Capital Area Region. The Man & Woman of the Year fundraising competition is a unique national campaign in which hundreds of men and women in 41 cities across the country raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Joel donated his time and money to participate in events benefitting the campaign. Joel is involved in a number of events to benefit the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation, conducts a number of meet-and-greets, autograph sessions and private clinics, supports the military and is always available to make school, camp and library visits.The Nationals will recognize Joel's involvement in the community during a pre-game ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 3 when they face the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:10pm.The fan vote winner will be tallied as one vote among those cast by the selection panel, which includes Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer, and Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. Participating fans automatically will be registered for a chance to win a trip to Game Three of the 2008 World Series, where the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy will be announced.As the official sponsor of the Roberto Clemente Award, Chevy will donate $7,500 to the charity of choice of each of the 30 Club recipients. Joel has chosen the Walter Reed Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping wounded soldiers and their families at the Walter Reed Medical Center. Chevy also will donate $30,000 and a Chevy vehicle to the national winner's charity of choice and an additional $30,000 will be donated by Chevy to Roberto Clemente Sports City, a not-for-profit organization in Carolina, Puerto Rico, designed to provide recreational sports activities for children.
