Round Rock Express Bestowed Prestigious Prize Honoring Its Community Engagement Efforts

ROUND ROCK, TX — Minor League Baseball has bestowed the Round Rock Express with the fourth annual John Henry Moss Community Service Award, officials announced on Wednesday.

The award was created in 2013 by MLB in honor of the late John Henry Moss, who founded what would later become the South Atlantic League in 1959 and headed the circuit until 2007. Round Rock Express officials will receive the award during the Baseball Winter Meetings Banquet on Dec. 4, scheduled to take place at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

"The Round Rock Express is honored to be named the winner of the 2016 John Henry Moss Community Service Award as one of our core values is to passionately give back to the community and it is something our staff proudly promotes and practices throughout the year," Round Rock Express president Chris Almendarez said in a prepared statement. "We are able to make Central Texas a better place to live and play through this great game of baseball and this year. We were able to make an impact on an international level with the founding of Jana's House, a home being built for orphaned girls in Zambia in honor of my wife, Jana. Receiving this award is a testament to the hard work of our staff, players and coaches and the community itself for continuing to support us in our charitable efforts all year long."

In tapping the Round Rock Express for the honor, MLB officials cited the team's outreach in its community.

"The Round Rock Express continue to be a model franchise when it comes to community service and engagement," MLB president & CEO Pat O'Conner said in a prepared statement. "Despite working through an incredibly tough and emotional year, the club managed to do so much good in and around its community, and of course with their efforts to make Jana's House a reality. Their efforts were second to none, and it is my honor to present them with this award."

The Round Rock Express minor league ball club has distinguished itself with robust engagement in its community, participating in a wide variety of community service initiatives to provide assistance to area programs, charities and educational organizations locally and in surrounding communities, MLB officials noted. All told, the team has more than 75 community partners, 13 youth programs, 11 military appreciation initiatives, 25 in-game fundraising and awareness events and 10 community outreach initiatives.
This year alone, the team took the field in specialty jerseys six times to benefit community charities. In total, specialty jersey nights provided $31,710 to charitable organizations, officials said. In tandem with the team's hospitality sister company, Ryan Sanders Sports Services (RS3), the Express raised more than $600,000 through in-stadium events such as auctions and raffles.

This year, the franchise donated a grand total of over $788,000, officials noted.

Through it all, the team had to deal with personal loss after the passing of Jana Almendarez, the wife of the team president. Rallying around one another, the franchise staff adopted a yearlong motto of "One Team" that transcended the front office to the players and coaches, sponsors, fans and the entire Central Texas community, MLB officials said.

"In the months that followed Jana's passing came record-breaking attendance numbers, inspired events like Military Appreciation Day and Cancer Awareness Night, and the undertaking of Jana's House, a home under construction in Zambia that will house 12 orphaned girls in Jana's honor," MLB officials said.

The Round Rock Express also has distinguished itself by serving community youth by hosting year-round baseball and softball camps, partnering with libraries for reading competitions, staging Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts nights at the ballpark and other special events. The Round Rock mascot, Spike, was no slouch either, making more than 117 appearances throughout the season at fundraisers, assemblies, youth sporting events and other community gatherings. Team members are accessible as well, making themselves available for public speaking events and autograph sessions, MLB officials said.

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