BAC Spreads Labor of Love for Diabetes Research

JOURNAL: ISSUE 2 - 2012

Members and supporters of the BAC softball team, the Bricklayers. Kneeling, from left, Jill Lehman, Jessica Kimball and Olivia McClung; middle row from left, Justin Weller, Tim McTavish, Jean-Paul Itz, BAC Executive Vice President and team Captain Gerard Scarano, Monetta Walton, Ward McClung, Dan Smith, Susan Flaherty, Patricia Stallings, and retired Local 1 MD/VA/DC officer Tom McQuaid; back row from left, Brian Doherty, Mike Di Virgilio, Luke Lamar, Dave Elcano, Steve Nelms, Justin Elcano, Bob Arnold, BAC Secretary-Treasurer Henry Kramer, retired BAC Executive Vice President Gerald O'Malley, and Rose Fitzpatrick.

From left, BAC Secretary-Treasurer Henry Kramer and Executive Vice Presidents Tim Driscoll and Gerard Scarano. Away from his duties as Tool Sales director, Ward McClung morphs into BAC's power pitcher on the mound. IPF's Rose Fitzpatrick displays an impressive batting stance.

In partnership with the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), BAC athletes took to the field in the annual Softball Slam held this year at Orioles Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on May 19th and 20th. The Slam is part of BCTD's Labor of Love annual fundraising campaign to advance the mission of the Diabetes Research Institute to find a cure for this disease that affects 25.8 million people in the U.S.

After 26 consecutive years, BCTD announced that Labor of Love had raised a total of $45 million for diabetes research. Besides the Softball Slam, the 2012 activities featured a benefit golf tournament and a special "Labor Night" for union members when the Orioles took on the visiting Red Sox that included discount rates at the newly renovated Hilton Baltimore, built under a Project Labor Agreement.

Staff members of the International Union, the International Pension Fund (IPF) and the International Masonry Institute (IMI) and their families and friends joined IU officers in participating in two full days of Labor of Love activities. The Captain of BAC's softball team, BAC Executive Vice President Gerard Scarano, said, "We really enjoyed the games with brothers and sisters from the building trades. Our team showed tremendous spirit on the field and more importantly, in fighting on behalf of all those who suffer from this debilitating disease."