Hank Aaron Childhood Home/Museum Project Wins Top MILB Award

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Mobile BayBears, Great Lakes Loons, Lake Elsinore Storm and State College Spikes are the winners in Minor League Baseball's inaugural Best of Promotional Awards.

The honorees were chosen by their peers from more than 200 promotions in four different categories at the Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar in New Orleans, which ended Saturday. The overall winner was then chosen from the category honorees.

The BayBears, received the Best Overall Promotional Award and the Best Non-Game Day Promotion Award for relocating Hank Aaron's childhood home to GasLight Park at Hank Aaron Stadium and converting it to the Hank Aaron Childhood Home Museum. The museum features a unique and personal look at the Aaron family, their values and how this formed the foundation and guided the life, historic Hall of Fame Baseball career and post-baseball accomplishments of the Mobile native.

The Loons and their Funky Feather captured the Best In-Game Promotion. The premise of The Funky Feather is that when Great Lakes scored a run, the song "Sandstorm" plays and fans, staff members and game day employees start doing "The Funky Feather," punching alternate arms in the air to the beat of the music. The promotion was supported through use of the Loons' video board. The club also had Funky Feather t-shirts available for purchase.

The Best Theme Night was awarded to the Storm for their Fat Tuesday promotion, sponsored by Subtle Butt, of an all-you-can-eat ticket for $13. Subtle Butt is a small carbon filter that basically masks flatulent odor, a self-adhesive comfort strip that fits inside your undergarment and reduces gas emissions.

The Spikes were voted as having the best Green Promotion. During every home game, "Gang Green," a group of three interns dressed as "Jolly Green Giant" looking characters, ran onto the field and danced or performed a skit. The trio would then enter the stands, collecting recyclables from fans.