Major League Baseball Customized Fathers Day Uniforms Support Prostate Cancer Awareness & Research

I had to take a second glance and ask the other people in the room with me if there was something wrong with the TV while watching the Detroit Tigers game on Fathers Day as the team's uniforms seemed different.  In fact, they were.  For the first time ever, Major League Baseball (MLB) was having their teams wear customized uniforms and caps for Fathers Day with a "baby blue" theme to them.  While I'm a traditionalist when it comes to the uniforms that sport the Old English D and appreciate keeping a classic look to the outfits, in my opinion these Fathers Day uniforms were very sharp!

For the last several years, MLB has had its teams don pink uniforms on Mothers Day to show support for breast cancer survivors and promote awareness on the topic.  The reproductions of these official pink Mothers Day uniforms and caps that were made available for purchase to fans have had their MLB licensing royalties donated to the non-profits Susan G. Komen and Stand Up to Cancer.  This year the initiative was expanded to include Fathers Day.

The focus of the Fathers Day MLB promotion was to raise awareness, and some money, for prostate cancer prevention.  According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime with 1 in 39 men dying from the disease.  Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths for men residing within the United States behind only lung cancer.  Fortunately, if discovered early and treated many men can survive prostate cancer.  CLICK HERE to learn more about prostate cancer from the American Cancer Society.

As with the Mothers Day specialty uniforms, these unique Fathers Day ones will have their MLB licensing royalties donated to charity as well go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer.  If you like these replica jerseys and caps don't wait to long to grab one as they are meant to be collectible items produced in limited supplies.  I'm not a fan of the flat brimmed snapback caps that seem to be all the rage lately so I'm glad New Era also produced a more traditional Fathers Day version of the ball cap for dads like me who appreciate the vintage look.

Check out all of the Fathers Day looks that were worn around Major League Baseball by all the teams for their June 19th games:




Major League Baseball teams will also be wearing special patriotic themed uniforms on the Fourth of July.  MLB's licensing royalties from these replica Fourth of July caps and jerseys will be donated to the the veterans' support charity Welcome Back Veterans.

So what to think of these special themed uniforms for sporting teams? Love them, hate them or just don't care? 

What Does Your Laugh Say About You?

There is a saying that laughter is the best medicine. Steve Wilson, a psychologist and "Cheerman of the Bored" for the World Laughter Tour, reached out to A Geek Daddy to share his expertise as a laugh expert and to emphasis the importance of laughter when it comes to health, happiness, and self-confidence. According to Wilson, laughter is infectious and empowering and it is unfortunate people don't laugh enough in life because laughing can increase self-esteem, strengthen relationships and enhance overall a person's mood and health.

What does your laugh say about you? Wilson notes more than you may think stressing that "laughter is among the most unfiltered expressions of a person's personality." He encourages people to try out a first-of-its-kind technology called the LAUGHALIZER developed by SunChips working with experts in gelotology, the study of laughter (did you know there was a field dedicated to that?), that will analyze what your style of laughing says about you. Visit LaughwithSunChips.com to try out the LAUGHALIZER for yourself. As an extra bonus, SunChips will donate a $1 to Step Up, a non-profit devoted to helping girls from under-resourced urban neighborhoods become "confident," "college-bound," and "career-focused" every time a LAUGHALIZER user shares their "laugh-print" on Facebook, Twitter, or by email up to $100,000. Help SunChips create 100,000 unique waves of laughter to raise $100,000 to assist young women who are at risk of being left behind in life by society to get a step up.

According to a national SunChips survey on laughter, 97% of people say laughter eases their anxiety and almost half of respondents said laughter gets them through daily challenges. Wilson also mentioned that according to the survey 2/3 of people use laughter as a way to determine if somebody is someone they may want to date or marry. Utilize the LAUGHALIZER to see how your laugh relates to your health and personality plus to get a glimpse out how it portrays you to other people.  So what does your laugh say about you when it is put through the LAUGHALIZER?

T-SHIRT ART CONTEST ASKS KIDS TO DRAW WHAT MAKES THEIR LIFE GOOD

Children 3 to 12 years old are being encouraged to draw why "life is good" to them for a chance to win a $2,000 scholarship and have their design sold as an exclusive T-shirt by lifeisgood.com.  Life is Good is an apparel company that brands itself by selling T-shirts that feature messages and images which promote optimism.  The 3 contest grand prize winners will have their design included within the Life is Good Kids Collection of T-shirts that display original art with messages of empowerment and positivity to help build confidence in kids and spread optimism to all.  These tees which range in size from toddler to Kids XL are made with 100% USA grown cotton, are garment washed for softness and feature double-needle stitching.  All net proceeds from the sale of the prize winners' T-shirts will be donated to the company's charitable foundation which funds projects across the country to help kids in need.



The Life is Good Kids Foundation is a recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization by the Internal Revenue Service and has a 3 out of 4 star rating with Charity Navigator.  The foundation is primarily funded by the Life Is Good corporation which donates 10% of its annual net profits each year to its charitable offshoot.   According to a Charity Navigator review, 78.6% of Life of Good Kids Foundation expenses are spent on delivering programs and services while 19.8% are for administrative expenses such as office space and payroll.

3 Grand Prize Winners of the art contest will receive a $2,000 scholarship, a 3-month membership for MyGym (we don't have any of those in Michigan), and a suite of art supplies.  Plus their designs will be sold on t-shirts by lifeisgood.com which will have their net proceeds used to help kids in need.  Six 2nd place winners will also be selected to receive a $100 gift card to lifeisgood.com and a suite of art supplies.

To enter have your child create a t-shirt design on the form below and send in the completed entry information attached to it and/or take a picture of your t-shirt design done on the form below and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #LifeisGoodbecause.  Entries will be accepted until April 29, 2016 at 11:59pm EST.  Life is Good will also donate a $1 for each entry submitted through Instagram up to $25,000 to its charitable foundation.



For more information, visit lifeisgood.com/artcontest.

All-You-Can-Eat Pizza Fundraiser Will Help Stock Detroit Soup Kitchen

On a typical day, the two Capuchin Soup Kitchen locations in Detroit serve more than 2,000 meals a day providing nourishment to the chronically poor as well as to working families and seniors who are having a hard time making ends meet.  It's not just adults either that benefit from the Capuchin Soup Kitchen as a third of the meals served each day are to children 12 years old or younger.  On Monday, April 13, 2015 your meal at one of Metro Detroit's Buddy's Pizza locations can help ensure the less fortunate have a place to turn to for their next meal.

Buddy's Pizza is hosting its 39th annual "Slice For Life" benefit to support the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.  From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., patrons who purchase a ticket can visit any Buddy’s Pizza full-service location to enjoy an all-you-can-eat two-topping pizza and salad meal. A carry-out option is also available for purchase at all 11 Buddy’s Pizza locations and includes either a 4-square two-topping pizza or a medium sized antipasto, Greek or house salad. Ticket sales benefit the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and over the last 38 years that Buddy's Pizza has hosted this event have raised $2.7 million dollars.  

Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.cskdetroit.org, or by calling 313.579.2100 ext. 153/170. Tickets will also be available at the door. All ticket holders may also register to win one 8-square Buddy’s Pizza every month for one year. The fundraising goal for this year's event is $125,000 to benefit the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.

While Chicago gets a lot of credit for its deep dish pizza, my favorite is a Detroit original.  I want Buddy's Pizza, which started 69 years ago in Detroit and still has locations throughout Metro Detroit, when I think of deep dish.  In fact, Buddy’s has been recognized as one of 10 pies worth a trip by Zagat; one of the Nation’s Five Best Pizza Places by the Food Network; dubbed the Hottest Independent Pizzeria in the Nation by Pizza Today; one of the best 25 Pizzas in America by GQ and one of the 25 best pizza spots in the US by Food & Wine Magazine.  Swing by a Buddy's Pizza on April 13th for a great meal that will help a good cause.


Founded in 1929 by Capuchin friars Solanus Casey and Herman Buss, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen supports numerous Metro Detroit programs that stimulate minds, nourish spirits, and attempt to address root causes of social injustice.  In addition to the soup kitchen, some of their other community services include providing children's tutoring and art therapy, its Earthworks Urban Farm which produces vegetables for Detroit's hungry plus educates the community in regards to sustainable relationships between human beings and the earth, and its ROPE (Reaching Our Potential Everyday) ministry that is designed to assist individuals "re-entering" society after bouts of incarceration or substance abuse. CLICK HERE to view all of the services and programs offered by the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.  

If you join in on the Slice for Life fundraiser share some photos of you enjoying your slices with Buddy’s Pizza on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #Slice4Life.

R2-KT Bunny Ears Patch Supports Easter Seals

My daughter likes to add buttons, charms and patches to her backpack throughout the school year to personalize and make it her own unique thing.  One of the neat things we've discovered to add to it are Star Wars inspired patches of a little pink droid called R2-KT that come out around holidays and special events meant to keep a little girl's memory alive and support various charities.  The most recent patch features artwork by Dave Lieu illustrating R2-KT wearing bunny ears and all proceeds  support Easter Seals.  Each patch is $7.00 and includes free shipping.  You can order patches and pay for them via paypal to r2kt@r2kt.com

There is a special story behind R2-KT.  In 2005 a little girl named Katie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Katie loved Star Wars (like her father Ablin - the founder of the 501st Legion Star Wars fan club) and loved the color pink. When her health declined to the point she couldn't get out of bed, she said she wished she had a droid to watch over her like R2-D2 watched over a sleeping Padme in the Star Wars movie Attack of the Clones.  Word of Katie's illness spread throughout the Star Wars fan community and another club of fans that makes authentic recreations of droids from the Star Wars movies called The R2 Builders knew this was a job for them, and in mere months they constructed a custom R2 unit all painted in pink and dubbed it  R2-KT. It rolled, it blinked, it even talked: Katie had a droid to watch over her! And she kept KT by her bedside through her final days.  Katie passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 9, 2005.

Katie's legacy lives on in her pink companion. R2-KT now tours the world, spreading the joy to Star Wars fans and a message of hope for kids who suffer childhood illnesses. R2-KT attends fan conventions, visits sick children in hospitals, appears in parades, inspires young girls that Star Wars has a place for them, and helps raise funds for a wide range of charities. In 2007 Hasbro produced an R2-KT action figure, which raised $100,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 2008 Dave Filoni of Lucasfilm featured the droid in a cameo role in the Clone Wars animated feature film, making her a canon member of the Star Wars universe! In 2013 KT appeared in the Star Wars Weekends parade in Disney World, then traveled to be a guest of honor at Celebration Europe II in Germany. R2-KT has become a symbol of everything Star Wars fandom has come to represent: spreading the magic of hope.

 For more information about R2-KT visit  www.r2kt.com

Star Wars Video Games are the Newest Humble Bundle Deal

The newest Humble Bundle deal is Star Wars video games you can play on your PC through the STEAM cloud-based gaming service.  Humble lets you pay what you want for the bundle and even gives a portion of the proceeds to a campaign's designated charity...in this case letting purchasers choose to support either UNICEF or the new Star Wars: Forces for Change charity that Disney has created and tied to the promotion of the brand's upcoming motion pictures.  Name your price: $1, $5, $12 and you get 3 classic video games for whatever you want to pay.  If you spend over the "average" amount people are spending on the Bundle you get 3 more games or if you just spend $12 you can get a total of 9 games.  Plus you never know throughout the games Humble may throw in some additional games into the package to up the ante! Right now the Humble Bundle is estimated to be worth $115 if you went out and bought these games from retailers right now.

The Name Your Price Games are:

Knights of the Old Republic

Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Star Wars Dark Forces

The Average Price Games are:

 Battle Front II

Knights of the Old Republic II

Star Wars Republic Commando

The $12 Bundle Games add:

Empire at War: Gold Pack

The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition

The Force Unleashed II

I remember enjoying many of these games on my original xbox gaming system so if you are a PC gamer and like Star Wars this seems like a great not to miss deal.  Don't wait though because this is a limited time offer and when its over the deal's gone.  Keep an eye out on the clock on the offer's web page that is running down how much time is left to make sure you don't miss out.

Remember too if you are in a generous mood some people pay more than they need to in order to support making donations to a campaign's charitable partners.  I'm sure UNICEF and Star Wars: Force For Change would appreciate your generosity and put donations to good use.

WE CAN BE HEROES – COMICS HELPING CHARITY

A few weeks ago DC COMICS launched a campaign to raise money for charitable relief to address the hunger problems in Africa.  Their campaign, WE CAN BE HEROES, is raising money for several reputable charities including  Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps be offering special Batman themed items and promotions to people who make donations.  WE CAN BE HEROES has been very successful exceeding its initial goal of raising $50,000 in donations to have already received more than $139,000 in contributions.  Every dollar counts and can make an impact in the services these charities can provide to those in need so check out their website www.indiegogo.com/projects/dc-entertainment-we-can-be-heroes because there are just a few days left to participate.

The campaign is wrapping up at the end of this week– donations need to be made by 11:59pm EST on Friday, May 10, 2013 – so if you’d like to find out more information or make a donation hurry over to the WE CAN BE HEROES website.  Here are few of their donation perks:

 $10 dollar donation will get you a $9 tax deduction and 5 digital copies of BATMAN comics (Batman #20, Detective Comics #20, The Dark Knight #20, Batman & Red Hood #20 & Batman/Superman #1);

$25 dollar donation will get you a print copy of Batman/Superman #1 with an exclusive WE CAN BE HEROES variant cover by the legendary artist Jim Lee along with a $14 tax deduction.

$30 dollar donation gets you a $10 tax deduction and a year’s digital subscription to your choice of either Batman/Superman, Batman, or Detective Comics.

$40 dollar donation will get you an exclusive WE CAN BE HEROES Batman/Superman t-shirt designed by Jim Lee and only available through this campaign and a $14 tax deduction.

What can the money from this fundraiser do to help people in the Horn of Africa?  If the campaign reaches these goals it can:

There are only a few days left so make sure you check out WE CAN BE HEROES before the end of the day on Friday, May 10^th.