State Farm® and Major League Baseball® Go Deep for Charities With 'GO TO BAT™' Program

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Home runs during the second half of the 2010 Major League Baseball (MLB) season will take on a whole new meaning for baseball fans and the charities that matter most to them. State Farm® and MLB today launched the "GO TO BAT" program – an online, charitable-giving initiative driven by State Farm's commitment to being there for the community and supporting those that are making a difference in life's big moments.

Starting today, fans can visit www.statefarm.com/gotobat, and go to bat for their favorite cause by selecting one of the designated charities on the website that means the most to them. State Farm will randomly select a weekly individual winner and award a donation to the charity they chose to support. For every home run hit in MLB games during the previous week, State Farm will donate $100 to that individual winner's charity. In addition, the selected winner will be awarded a trip for two to the 2010 World Series. A total of ten (10) winners will be drawn during the "GO TO BAT" program, which stretches through the second half of the MLB season and concludes on September 26.

"At State Farm, our agents and associates go to bat for our customers and their communities every day, so this is a natural extension of who we are," said Todd Fischer, manager of national sponsorships for State Farm.  "The 'GO TO BAT' program will give home runs even greater meaning this season and make a lasting impact for the causes that mean the most to fans and their communities. Some home runs win games ... but now every home run will make a difference for someone who needs it."

Fans can increase both their chances and their charity's chances of winning by playing the online State Farm Home Run Derby game. Each virtual home run hit during game play is equal to another entry for the entrant and their charity. Fans can step up to the plate and go to bat to earn additional entries every day by playing the online game. They can also share their results on Facebook and challenge their friends to go to bat for something that is important to them.

As part of its "GO TO BAT" program launch, State Farm and MLB will once again be there to team up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to improve children's lives with every home run hit in the 2010 State Farm® Home Run Derby® tonight, July 12 at Angel Stadium. For each "Gold Ball" home run hit (when a batter has one "out" remaining), State Farm and MLB will combine to donate $17,000 to the BCGA. State Farm also will donate $3,000 for all other home runs hit during the Derby.

In addition, one member from eight Orange County Area BGCA chapters will be matched with State Farm Home Run Derby participants for a chance to win $50,000 for their club from State Farm. The seven kids not matched up with the State Farm® Home Run Derby® champion will each win $10,000 for their club from State Farm.  All of the State Farm® Home Run Derby® festivities will be broadcast live on ESPN at 8 p.m. EDT / 5 p.m. PT.

The "GO TO BAT" program will culminate during the 2010 MLB World Series with a pre-game ceremony showcasing its cumulative impact and recognizing the 10 individual winners and their selected charities.  Also, State Farm will announce and award a $25,000 donation to the charity that receives the most overall support throughout the course of the promotion.

Fans can get more information and enter the "GO TO BAT" program online at www.statefarm.com/gotobat.

About State Farm®:

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,700 agents and more than 67,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – almost 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.

About Major League Baseball Properties

The Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) in 1966 as the Club's agent for marketing and trademark licensing and protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for managing consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising campaigns, cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands and corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the United States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with Clubs, broadcast rights holders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a full-service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball Productions), a publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and manages logistics for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all other special events. For more information on Major League Baseball, log on to www.MLB.com.

SOURCE State Farm

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