annual Adoptee Night.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will conduct their third annual Adoptee Night at tonight’s game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium, seeking to raise awareness for the adoption and foster-care community.
The Mixed Roots Foundation held a fundraising drive in an attempt to provide tickets for 1,000 adopted and foster youth the opportunity to see their first major league game.
A group sales effort for the game was also held, with a portion of the price of each ticket sold going to the foundation, which provides post-adoption resources for adoptees and their families.
The foundation is seeking every major professional sports league to hold a league-wide Adoptee Day or Adoptee Night. The Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA will hold their first Adoptee Day at their home opener June 14 at Staples Center.
Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas will throw the ceremonial first pitch and be joined on the field by his adoptive father, Joe Ben Hudgens, in recognition of National Foster Care Month.
Cameroon-born singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, model and actress Andy Allo will perform the national anthem.
A fireworks show set to electronic dance music by DJ Zedd will follow the game. Fans will be invited onto the field to see the show, which will take place before 11 p.m. and is subject to cancellation if the game lasts too long.
Brig. Gen. James Gabrielli will also throw a first pitch. He is former Marine Corps aviator who is the commanding general for the California National Guard’s youth and community programs task force and commands the California National Guard’s youth programs, which includes the Sunburst Youth Academy .
U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. Salina Munoz and U.S. Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Alexander Darius Yin will be honored as Military Heroes of the Game. They are both stationed at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos and serve at the Sunburst Youth Academy.
U.S. Army Sgt. Paul Gonzalez will also be honored as a Military Hero of the Game. He is stationed at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina and has served three deployments, six years in the infantry and three in the signal corps.
Actor Jerry Ferrara will serve as guest public address announcer, 12 days before the release of the “Entourage” movie, in which he reprises his role as Turtle from the 2004-11 HBO series.
Kenny Landreaux, an outfielder on the Dodgers’ 1981 World Series championship team, will sign autographs in the left field pavilion plaza from 5-7 p.m.
Pregame entertainment will include a stilt walker in the left field plaza and DJ Adam in the right field plaza, both from 5-7 p.m.
Auto gates will open at 4:40 p.m. and stadium gates at 5:10 p.m. Pregame ceremonies will begin at 6:55 p.m. for the 7:10 p.m. game.
