Natalie Niekro Takes Message About Aneurysm Awareness to MLB Network

Posted on November 06, 2009 by Dean Hybl

Joe Niekro's memory lives on through the Joe Niekro Foundation.

On the day that would have been her father’s 65th birthday, Natalie Niekro will honor the memory of her father, former major league baseball star Joe Niekro, by telling a national audience about the importance of awareness about and funding for aneurysm research.

Since starting the Joe Niekro Foundation, Natalie Niekro has been a one-woman crusade to ensure that the tragic death of her father from a brain Aneurysm in 2006 helps save the lives of others who unknowingly suffer from Aneurysms.

After raising $450,000 earlier this year by hosting the first-ever Knuckle Ball at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Natalie set her sites on other ways to use the notoriety of her father’s baseball career to help the cause.

Throughout the last week of October, the Joe Niekro Foundation and the Arizona Fall League teamed up for “Aneurysm Awareness Week.”

During the week, every pitcher who represented one of the seven teams that Joe Niekro played for during his career was, in essence, pitching to help strikeout out Aneurysms. For every strikeout earned by a pitcher representing the Cubs, Padres, Tigers, Braves, Astros, Yankees and Twins, a donation was made to the Joe Niekro Foundation.

Natalie reports that more than $13,000 has been raised during the week to help support Aneurysm research, including $2,700 from the seven major league teams.

Natalie Niekro is a one woman crusade for Aneurysm Awareness.

At the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Showcase game, which will be broadcast live on MLB Network beginning at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday (November 7th), Natalie will be part of a special on field presentation prior to the game.

She is also slated to join the announcers in the booth during the broadcast to talk about “Aneurysm Awareness Week.”

Natalie hopes that the publicity from this partnership with the Arizona Fall League will help lead to additional events in conjunction with Major League Baseball.

If you are interested in learning more about the Joe Niekro Foundation, please visit the website at www.joeniekrofoundation.org.

Dean Hybl is a supporter of A Glove of Their Own, the award winning children’s book that teaches Paying it Forward through baseball. Visit the site and purchase using donor code JNF636 The Joe Niekro Foundation as $3 from each purchase will go directly to the JNF.