Hall of Fame to Host BASE Health Awareness Weekend Aug. 19-20

Hall of Fame to Host BASE Health Awareness Weekend Aug. 19-20

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum presents the first-ever BASE Health Awareness weekend, Aug. 19-20.

In conjunction with the Museum’s Be A Superior Example program, the Hall of Fame will host a weekend of programs and activities promoting healthy choices and awareness. A Hall of Fame educational initiative, BASE promotes the concepts of healthy lifestyle choices to a worldwide audience, educating students about the dangers of performance-enhancing substances.

All events are included with Museum admission. Weekend events include:

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday – A blood drive, sponsored by the American Red Cross in conjunction with Bassett Healthcare, will be held in a Bloodmobile located in Cooper Park. All presenting donors will receive free admission to the Museum on Saturday. Volunteer donors who have not donated within the last 56 days of Aug. 19 are eligible to donate blood on Saturday. To schedule an appointment, please call 1-800-REDCROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org.

11 a.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday – Hall of Fame manager of digital and outreach learning Bruce Markusen hosts a presentation about big league ballplayers who have been afflicted with cancer. For some, cancer has signaled the end of a career or worse, but others have overcome adversity and returned to the big leagues. Come on by and hear the stories of players like Walt Bond, Danny Thompson, Dave Dravecky, Jon Lester, Daniel Norris and Anthony Rizzo. Bullpen Theater

1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday – The BASE program will be demonstrated with activities focusing on fitness, nutrition and character. Cooper Park Statue Garden (weather permitting)

2 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. Sunday – Award-winning Kansas City sportscaster Danny Clinkscale will give a presentation about his new memoir, Leaving Cancer for the Circus. In 2015, the most eventful year of Clinkscale’s life took the veteran sportscaster along for the exhilarating ride of the hometown Kansas City Royals’ back-to-back World Series appearances. It also brought the challenge of a cancer diagnosis. Clinkscale tells the story of his journey from diagnosis to a solo road trip through the Black Hills, and flashes back to many events in his life and career. That includes his time as a young broadcaster in the Cooperstown area. He broadcast games in the New York-Penn League, and was the play-by-play announcer for several Hall of Fame games in Cooperstown. This memoir is humorous, heartbreaking, and romantic all at once. Books will be available for purchase before and after the discussion and a book signing will follow the program. A portion of each sale goes to Coaches Vs. Cancer, a collaboration with the American Cancer Society. Bullpen Theater

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday – Bassett Healthcare will provide cancer screenings to both the insured and uninsured through their mobile coach, located in Cooper Park. Mammograms and pelvic examinations will be offered throughout the morning. Visitors can also obtain colorectal kits for cancer screening. During the afternoon, members of Bassett’s staff will offer free tours of the mobile coach and offer insight on the process of cancer screening.

The Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.