O's St. Patrick's Day cap auction raises lots of green for Sarasota's Selby Gardens

By Pete Kerzel

Orioles

April 02, 2015, 7:26am

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Remember those special caps the Orioles wore for their St. Patrick's Day exhibition game against the Twins? Turns out the wearing 'o the lids raised a lot of green for the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota.

The specially designed caps donned by O's coaches and players were auctioned off, raising more than $7,900 for Selby Gardens as part of "Go Green Day" presented by Waste Pro at Ed Smith Stadium. The annual event highlights environmental stewardship in the Orioles' spring training home.

Ed Smith Stadium is one of the most environmentally friendly ballparks in the country, featuring recycling, reclaimed water that is used for toilets and irrigation, and energy-conserving solar panels and roofing materials.

"The Orioles are proud to support the mission of Selby Gardens, a world-renowned botanical research center and leader in environmental education," said David Rovine, vice president of Orioles-Sarasota. "Selby Gardens, which attracts more than 130,000 guests annually, promotes understanding of the natural world and stimulates advocacy for plant habitat conservation."

The donation will be presented Friday before the Orioles play their final Grapefruit League game of the spring at Ed Smith Stadium against the Braves at 6:05 p.m. on MASN.