Raul Ibanez Mariners 2008 Roberto Clemente Nominee

Baseball's highest community service honor to be announced at World Series.

Raúl Ibañez was today named the Seattle Mariners recipient of the 2008 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy.  Ibañez is one of 30 Major League players nominated for the national Roberto Clemente Award, which will be presented prior to Game 3 of the 2008 World Series.

Ibañez will be presented as the Mariners nominee during a pre-game ceremony on Friday, September 5, when the Mariners take on the New York Yankees.  Ibañez has designated the Make-A-Wish Foundation as the recipient of a $7,500 donation from Chevy.

"Raúl is widely respected throughout baseball, not only for his abilities and accomplishments on the field, but for his character, leadership and efforts to improve our communities off the field," said Howard Lincoln, Seattle Mariners Chair and CEO.

During his tenure in Seattle, Ibañez has been a supporter of Make-A-Wish Foundation and has entertained Make-A-Wish kids who have wished to come to the ballpark and meet Seattle Mariners players.  Last month, Raúl hosted two special Northwest kids who wished to meet him specifically.  He has also donated several autographed items over the years to support Make-A-Wish fundraising events.

Ibañez has chaired the Cystic Fibrosis Mariners Care Golf Tournament since 2004.  This annual event has raised millions of dollars to support the search for a cure and the development of new drugs and therapies to treat those living with the life-shortening disease.

In addition, Raul and his wife Teryvette have supported Page Ahead, a child and family literacy program in the state of Washington.  The Ibañezes hosted an assembly to distribute books to students at an underprivileged school in the Seattle area and Raul and Tery read to the children in the classroom in both English and Spanish.

Other charitable activities in which Ibañez has participated are Boys & Girls Clubs, Teammates For Kids Foundation, Olive Crest, Treehouse, Volunteers of America and Esperanza, a Bellevue-based non-profit agency that supports families living in poverty in Latin America.

Raúl has also served as spokesman for the statewide "Refuse to Abuse" anti-domestic violence campaign.  Developed by the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV), the purpose of the campaign is to encourage a commitment to prevent violence in intimate relationships.  Ibañez appears in print ads and has recorded radio public service announcements in both English and Spanish.  Through these efforts, Ibañez remains one of only a few professional athletes to help raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence.

The Sporting News named Raúl one of the 2006 Good Guys in sports, and in 2007, he was nominated by the Major League Baseball Players Association for the annual "Heart & Hustle" award for the current player who not only excels on the field, but also best embodies the values, spirit and tradition of the game.

The Clemente Award is presented each year to the Major League player who combines outstanding baseball skills with devoted work in the community. Each year, the nominees are announced in September as part of MLB's Roberto Clemente Day celebrations.

Again this year, fans can participate in the selection process of the national winner.  From September 3-October 5, fans can log onto www.chevy.com/clemente and vote for one of the 30 team nominees.  The fan vote winner will be counted as one vote among the votes cast by the selection committee which includes Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer, and Baseball Commissioner Alan H. "Bud" Selig.  Participating fans will automatically be entered to win a trip to Game 3 of the 2008 World Series, where the national winner of the Clemente Award will be announced.

Three Mariners players have received the Clemente Award-Harold Reynolds in 1991, Jamie Moyer in 2003 and Edgar Martinez in 2004.