Special jersey has special meaning for Senators' Logan Darnell

When Double-A Harrisburg lefty Logan Darnell pulls on his home jersey for the Senators' game against Bowie on July 26 at FNB Field, it'll mean a little more than usual.

That's the night the Senators will don special jerseys on End Alzheimer's Night. Darnell lost his mother, Caye, 59, to Alzheimer's disease on April 13, and has been working with team management to come up with creative ways to mix his mound work and the need to raise funds and awareness. The jerseys from End Alzheimer's Night will be auctioned off, with proceeds going toward Alzheimer's research.

The Senators recently set up a celebrity bartending night at a local sports bar, where funds from a silent auction and tips collected by players attending the event were earmarked for Alzheimer's research. But Darnell didn't stop there.

In addition to End Alzheimer's Night, Darnell is collecting signed memorabilia - much of it related to the parent Nationals - which will be up for bid in a silent auction at the ballpark on July 26 or during an online auction sponsored by the Senators.

The first item up for bid in the online auction is a baseball signed by all five members of the Nationals starting rotation - Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark and Jeremy Hellickson. The current bid is $300 and the auction will continue until 10 p.m. on July 22.

You can bid on the starting five autographed baseball here. Keep an eye on the Senators auction site for more auciton items that will benefit the Alzheimer's Association - Greater Pennsylvania Chapter.

Caye Darnell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2012. Because her son was pitching at the time for Triple-A Rochester in the Twins organization, he couldn't be at home in Nashville with his parents. So he devised a variety of fundraising efforts to support his mother.

Logan Darnell is 4-4 with a 5.10 ERA in 15 games, including 10 starts, for Harrisburg this season.