The Man Who Brings Pink to the Stadium

By Danielle Barber

The Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund
cart at NBT Bank Stadium © 2013 Danielle Barber

When you buy tickets to a baseball game, you expect to see vendors and concession stands along the concourse. What you might not expect to see is a group of people raising awareness for breast cancer.

The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, are one of the hosts of the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of Central New York. All the money it raises goes to breast cancer research in Central New York. It has given over $4 million to SUNY Upstate University Hospital and more than $6 million to SUNY Stony Brook on Long Island.

The man in charge

Laurence Segal is the man responsible for bringing the fund to the NBT Bank Stadium, home of the Syracuse Chiefs. Segal, who is 36 years old, brought the fund to the stadium three years ago, bringing awareness and raising money for breast cancer research. 

Segal works for the Syracuse Chiefs as an Administrative Assistant, but is also a volunteer for the fund. Segal said this is so special to him because it has affected so many people in his family.

Laurence Segal (left) with a Baldwin Research
Fund volunteer (right) © 2013 Danielle Barber

"My mom had a double mastectomy in 1981, and was given a 100-percent chance of having breast cancer in her lifetime," Segal said. "She caught it early on and took the necessary steps to fight it. Beth Baldwin, Carol Baldwin's daughter who runs our foundation, calls her a breast cancer survivor."

How it all began

It all got started when Segal made a call to Wendy Shoen, Director of Merchandising for the Chiefs, to see if the club wanted to make a donation to the fund. When they said yes, Segal said he was honored. 

Segal and his team started off with a small table, giving away free t-shirts, bracelets, and cups during Ladies Night at the games. Shoen saw that they were making a big difference at the stadium, so they asked them to do it every night. Since then, Segal said they have grown a lot.

"We now have a big cart with signage on it," Segal said. "We have pink trash cans all over. When people throw their bottles and cans in the trash can, every 5 cents goes to breast cancer research here in Syracuse."
 

Pitching in

On Tuesday, August 6, 2013, the Syracuse Chiefs split with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The first game was a continuation game that was suspended on Friday, July 12, 2013 after 11 innings due to heavy rain. The second game, which immediately followed, was a regular scheduled game.

During the continuation game, Segal pointed out a few of the items people can purchase from the cart. Segal was wearing one of them: a black t-shirt with pink print that read "HOPE IS THE NEW PINK." Segal said the cart has become famous in the community.

"When people come to the stadium here, this cart stands out; people know it," Segal said.

Segal said the Chiefs play a video on the big screen of him talking about the research fund during the game.

"They are very supportive of this," Segal said. "Yunesky Maya, (who pitched a strong eight innings in the second game to give the Chiefs a 3-2 win over the RailRiders), came up to me the other day and gave me two thumbs up and says 'I love the work you're doing.'"

Segal said it's not only the fans who come to the stadium that are involved; it's the employees, the ground crew, the cleaning crew, and the Chiefs players too.

NBT Bank Stadium, home of the
Syracuse Chiefs © 2013 Danielle Barber

"Players from other teams have said things," Segal said. "Everybody that comes into the stadium says how cool it is that we are here, because you don't really see in any Major League stadium or any Minor League park a place that's raising money for breast cancer research every single home game."

Raising more than awareness

Segal said people make donations all the time. While speaking with Segal, there were a couple different occasions when people came up to the cart to drop money in the donation box.

One of the more well-known contributors is Bryce Harper, an All-Star with the Washington Nationals. Segal said Harper was touched by what they're doing at the stadium.

"I have a lot of respect for him," Segal said. "His mother and father (who also make donations) were big supporters of the Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund."

Segal said people all around America and all around Central New York know about the fund and know about the difference they're making.

 

Listen to more of Segal's story:

Making A Difference