There’s more than one way to liven up a baseball season
as you’ll see at the first “Celebration of Life Night” presented by
Reichel Funeral Home. The
IronPigs will take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Tuesday, August
20th at Coca-Cola Park and one “lucky” fan will win a fully paid trip to the
afterlife. The prize is good for life. No expiration date.
The
Lehigh Valley IronPigs Hit it Out of the Park!
The
Lehigh Valley IronPigs are taking the ballpark giveaway game to another level.
A
heavenly level.
No logo
watches or bobble heads for these fans. The Phillies Triple-A affiliate
is giving away up a free funeral to one “lucky” fan who submits an essay
about what their “dream funeral” would be like. The winning fan receives a
free funeral or memorial service by Reichel Funeral Home, which is
the business behind the “Celebration of Life” night at Coca-Cola Park.
Fan
Promised Extra Innings in the Afterlife.
“The
best fans in Minor League Baseball deserve the opportunity to win a
once-in-a-lifetime giveaway,” IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes said
in a statement. “Unquestionably, this is the most highly-coveted
‘out-of-the-box’ promotion in IronPigs history.”
The IronPigs draw around 9,000 fans per game, among the
best in the minors, thanks in part to a steady stream of creative ideas,
courtesy of General Manager Kurt Landes.
"My
job is producing 17 Broadway shows," says Kurt Landes, referring to
the number of breaks in a nine-inning game. Instead of watching the game, he
patrols his stadium with an earpiece, chats with fans, directs charges and
scoops up loose trash, constantly keeping fans engaged.
Mr. Landes has
installed motion-sensor videogames atop some urinals. Men score points by
hitting penguins with a snowmobile with players dressed in Tuxes and Santa
Claus suits. He has also sent a dog-riding monkey galloping around the field.
He dreams of one day hosting a birth at the ballpark (off the field) and
showing the new baby on the scoreboard at the end of the game.
Looking for ways to involve local businesses in
promotions, he developed the free funeral idea.
"Funeral homes need to market themselves, too,"
he says. Fans were asked to write a short essay on their ideal funeral.
Put it
in the Books! We have a Winner!
The winning essay
proposed a eulogy by Hall of Fame broadcaster Red Barber, and a half-dozen
ballplayers as pallbearers, including Marv Throneberry, a first baseman for the
error-prone New York Mets of 1962.
"I especially
want Marvelous Marv who committed more errors in baseball than I made in life,
and I made plenty of them," wrote the winner.
Finding a Funeral Home.
The sponsor, Reichel Funeral Home, initially said
no, states owner Kevin Reichel, who directs one of the Allentown, PA
area's 40 funeral homes. "But there are people who struggle to pay for our
services and could use it," he added. Unemployment in Allentown, pop.
120,000, stands at 10%, well above the national rate.
About 50 people submitted essays, some sentimental, some
playful, all describing their ideal funeral and why they should win. One woman
wants to be buried in the Phillies jersey she wore to her wedding reception.
Another suggests fireworks. One contestant wants a bouncer to kick out
"anybody having a family reunion at my expense."
I’ll be Handled with Care, like a Pierogi.
Mr. Hirschman, a healthy 61-year-old entered the contest stating that he knows Mr. Reichel from Queenship of Mary church, where both men partake in pierogi-making day. "I see how diligently he transfers the pierogi for their next stage of preparation," he wrote in his essay.
Mr. Hirschman, a healthy 61-year-old entered the contest stating that he knows Mr. Reichel from Queenship of Mary church, where both men partake in pierogi-making day. "I see how diligently he transfers the pierogi for their next stage of preparation," he wrote in his essay.
"I can only believe he would handle me in the same
caring manner."
The
Grand Prize Package
The IronPigs and Reichel Funeral Home have teamed up to provide the following funeral essentials, valued at $10,000, for the “lucky” winner:
· A casket.
·
Professional services of funeral director and staff.
· Body
removal and preparation (embalming or cremation).
· Use of
facilities and services for viewing (visitation/wake), funeral ceremony,
· Memorial
Service and graveside services.
· Vehicle to
transfer remains to Funeral Home along with Hearse for cemetery transfer.
Reichel Funeral Home is
located at 326 East 21st St. in Northampton, PA
This is definitely an ‘out-of-the-box’ promotion, but what a Great idea. Funerals are expensive. Our largest expenses are Homes, Cars, followed by Funerals. Great job guys. My baseball cap is off to you !!
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