Dickinson Mustang Cal Ripken Baseball

In order to raise awareness for brain tumors and pediatric cancers, Dickinson Mustang Baseball has declared the week of May 12 – May 18 as Gray in May.  We have also renamed our all-star Jamboree on Saturday, May 18 as the Gray in May Jamboree.  We are encouraging all players and fans to wear gray during this week.  Mustang Baseball will be selling Gray in May T-shirts with all proceeds going towards the Pray for Gray Foundation.

We encourage our league teams to get creative in ways to help raise awareness.  Ribbons will be provided to all team coordinators to hand out to their players and coaches.  Another idea that has been brought up is for fans to pledge a dollar amount per run that your team scores that week to the foundation.  Pizza Ranch will provide a free pizza party to the team that raises the most money.  We will send information to team coordinators on how to handle the funds.

Each year more than 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor.

There are over 120 different types of brain tumors, which makes effective treatment complicated. They can be malignant or non-malignant, and in either case, can be just as injurious or life threatening.

At present, the standard treatments for brain tumors include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. These may be used either individually or in combination.

Each tumor type is genetically distinct, making the search for treatments or a cure extremely difficult.

Brain tumors are the:

·         second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children under age 20,

·         second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in males ages 20-29, and

·         fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in females ages 20-39.

There are currently no known causes of brain tumors, however, epidemiological studies are ongoing.

Brain tumors do not discriminate among gender or ethnicity.

No new effective treatments have been developed in over 30 years.  Funding for pediatric brain tumors nearly non-existent.

Meningiomas are the most common type of primary brain tumors at 27.4%. The Glioma family of tumors account for 44.4% of all tumors, with Glioblastoma being the most common type of Glioma at 51.9% and Astrocytoma representing 21.6% of all Gliomas.

Metastatic brain tumors have the greatest incidence rate, with breast, lung and melanoma being the most common cancers to metastisize to the brain.

Information obtained from various brain tumor websites: voicesagainstbraincancer.org, abta.org, cbtf.org.

Team and Individual pictures are now available.  Please go to http://www.sportswideopen.com/Sports/Mustang-Baseball-2013 to view and order your pictures.

Long time Mustang Baseball parent and former board member, Glenda Schatz, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  There is a medical benefit for Glenda on Friday, May 31 at Lady J's Catering.  More information is available in the flyer below.