Orioles honor local heroes through Birdland Community Heroes, Americana Music programs

Camden Yards once again welcomed millions of fans during the 2016 season. Those legions of Birdland-obsessed, orange-and-black-clad supporters who made the annual summer pilgrimage to the ballpark each night the O's took the field made up a part of the more than 68 million visitors - and counting - who have urged their baseball heroes on the diamond to victory each night over the past 25 seasons.

It was another season to remember at the ballpark that changed baseball, with the Birds notching their third playoff appearance in the past five seasons and continuing to lead the American League in wins over that period.

Beyond the success the Orioles players found in their on-field objectives, the Orioles front office made it the organization's larger mission to take a league-leading role in fusing community altruism and artistic excellence with national pride, with the nation's pastime acting as the catalyst for recognizing these pillars of American culture. It was in the stands and at the microphone perched atop the O's dugout during each seventh-inning stretch at Camden Yards where the true heroes of Birdland - those individuals from all walks of life performing a myriad of occupations and initiatives and found all over the Orioles' vast seven-state regional community - took center stage to be honored in song for their selfless contributions to their fellow men and women.

During each weekend home series, local men and women selected for their charitable and civic contributions to others were honored through the Birdland Community Heroes and Americana Music Program. Their contributions, and in many cases their life's work in service to others, were commemorated in the performance of a different great American song. Fans at Camden Yards were introduced to more than 30 top talent artists from around the region and the country, each with their own style and love of music. They all took center stage to perform great American songs central to the history, societal struggles and achievements of all Americans, songs that resonate with the history of the game of baseball, and songs that are some of this country's most historic and influential pieces.

"The idea behind the Birdland Community Heroes and Americana Music Program is to harness baseball's big tent appoach to welcome millions of our citizens from every neighborhood and community across our region and to showcase the reality that every single member of our community can be recognized and included at Oriole Park for the valuable contributions made to their community and to their fellow man," said John P. Angelos, Executive Vice President of the Orioles and President of MASN. "The individuals we have and will continue to recognize through this popular program hail from all walks of life are involved in a countless number of diverse occupations and initiatives, including teachers, community fundraisers and organizers, health and wellness providers, safety and security providers, scientists and researchers, volunteers, and others who enhance the quality of life here at home and who all are together making an equal contribution to the country's welfare and enduring stability."

At each weekend home game, talented musicians, all donating their time and abilities to honor each Birdland Hero, performed a different song representing the spirit of America, with artists performing "God Bless America" on Sundays, singing "America, The Beautiful" every Saturday, and delivering "This Land is Your Land" at every Friday ballgame. This unique program earned recognition from observers around the country for the ballclub's use of its baseball assets to facilitate the fusion of American history, Americana music and culture, and support for heroism among citizens. In September, The New York Times commended the Orioles for the distinction of being the only franchise in Major League Baseball to regularly perform all three great songs at its home ballpark.

The Birdland Community Heroes Americana Music program is devoted to utilizing the unique power of song combined with the reach of Oriole Park, MASN television, Orioles Radio, and the Orioles and MASN's social media platforms. The purpose is two-fold: to raise awareness among millions of O's fans about the impact that heroes from every part of the extended Orioles community are making each day in neighborhoods throughout the region, and to use the power of America's most iconic songs to honor heroes' contibutions.

This past season, 34 individuals were nominated as Birdland Community Heroes, and it was an amazing collection of people, representing a variety of ages, backgrounds, and walks of life.

There was Reneita Smith, whose act of heroism was met with national attention after she rescued 20 elementary school students from a fire on the school bus she was driving. There was Capt. Florent Groberg, the U.S. Army member who received the Medal of Honor for his unparalleled bravery in combat during the War in Afghanistan, and Jennifer Brause, the founder of the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), the largest open admission animal shelter in Maryland. Majbritt Jensen, a social worker at the University of Maryland Medical Center, works with patients in the Bone Marrow Transplant program in the Greenebaum Cancer Center. She initiates and facilitates two support groups and has developed a "Caregiver Contract" for her allogeneic caregivers. Dan Blue, a science teacher at Dunloggin Middle School in Ellicott City, was recognized for his dedication in providing thousands of pieces of baseball equipment for children both locally and internationally.

And make no mistake, being a hero in the community is certainly not exclusive to adults. A pair of 11-year-olds, Ivan Gelrum and Madison Strempek, were each honored at Camden Yards this season for their outstanding acts of bravery and selflessness. Gelrum, while working as a safety patrolman at Diamond Elementary School, jumped into action to save a child from an oncoming bus in 2015. For his efforts, Gelrum was one of just 11 students to receive the prestigious AAA National Livesaving medal and enjoyed the Orioles game on May 7 to a rousing ovation of fans at the ballpark that evening. Strempek, meanwhile, has sparked the discussion on children growing up with an incarcerated parent. A native of Crofton, Maryland, Strempek is the author of the No. 1 best-selling book, "Everyone Makes Mistakes: Living with My Daddy in Jail." In addition to penning the book, Strempek wrote a letter to President Barack Obama, asking for criminal justice reform and was even recognized by the President for her efforts.

On the surface, the Birdland Heroes and Americana Music initiative is a tribute to communities that produce countless heroes from different walks of life while providing musicians the opportunities to honor their fellow citizens in a unique environment. The program also serves as the Orioles' latest effort to extend baseball's open arms, demonstrating how sport and music in America can galvanize the community spirit of altruism found in every American community member.

"This organization takes the greatest pride in acting as a focal point in attracting now almost 70 million Americans from around the region and the nation through the magic of the game of baseball who travel to downtown Baltimore City and join together as part of the Oriole Park at Camden Yards community," Angelos said. "A gathering of so many Americans over a quarter century at this ballpark to observe a pastoral game many played as kids is the ideal setting in which to recognize the many great and impactful yet humble and unknown individuals who quietly and selflessly give to others around the corner and around the country. Their efforts are truly heroic and have inspired not only the name but the mission of this program honoring the power of people to through the ordinary acts of a few make extraordinary change for many."

As for music's impact on sports, the relationship between the two sources of entertainment is a longstanding and important one. As the earliest professional sport, baseball and music have been inextricably tied together for more than 100 years. Songs such as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" are heard at nearly every baseball game.

At Camden Yards, our national anthem is performed by a different artist each night, and each weekend those artists often also performing the Birdland Community Heroes song for that evening. John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" has become synonymous with the seventh-inning stretch, and "America the Beautiful" was often discussed at different points in American history as preferred by many as an alternate or replacement national anthem. "This Land is Your Land" is a generational song identified with advancements in equality for women, minority members and others of our community who both in the sport of baseball and the country as a whole finally and successfully achieved equal recognition under the law. The song has been covered by many iconic American artists, perhaps most in well-known recent fashion by Presidential Medal of Freedom winner Bruce Springsteen.

The 2016 season was the first full season that featured the Birdland Community Heroes and Americana Music program, following the introduction of the program in smaller runs in prior seasons to widespread popular response by fans, and the Orioles have big plans to continue the program in 2017 and beyond. It will be difficult to replicate the heroes we saw honored at Camden Yards this past season, but it is a challenge the Orioles embrace. The Orioles are using a grassroots approach to identifying community heroes and have invited everyone to nominate those in they believe have made a heroic impact on the community. If you are interested in nominating someone you believe deserves to be honored, submit your choice here. You will have the opportunity to share your nomination and why you feel your nominee deserves to be selected as a Birdland Community Hero.