Centerplate and the Tampa Bay Rays host the Heart Gallery of Pasco and Pinellas Counties at Tropicana Field

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Centerplate, the hospitality provider at Tropicana Field, and partner of the Tampa Bay Rays , will host one of the year's most anticipated events for the Heart Gallery of Pasco and Pinellas Counties—Celebrate Me Home! on Thursday, May 15, 2014 at 6 pm.

Guests of the annual fundraising event, held on the playing field, are invited to suit up in baseball attire and enjoy an unforgettable evening under the dome, complete with entertainment, a silent auction, a delicious dinner and the opportunity to support the Heart Gallery's mission of "Creating Forever Families."

Launched as a grass-roots community initiative in 2006, The Heart Gallery of Pinellas & Pasco is an independent, charitable organization dedicated to promoting adoption through "Heart Galleries" which include professional portraits and profiles of foster children, as well as events with foster children and adoptive families.

"This event hosted in partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco Counties has become one of the most exciting and rewarding activities we hold at the park," said Bill Tracy, Regional Vice President for Centerplate and Heart Gallery board member. "Centerplate is committed to 'Making It Better To Be There' for our local community members, and we are proud to help raise awareness for the critical need to find families for children living in foster care, and to support the mission of 'Creating Forever Families.'"

Centerplate and the Rays are also proud partners in the Home Run Club.  Now in its fifth year at Tropicana Field, the Home Run Club has helped to connect families and provide a network for foster children and adoptive parents through dedicated events and gatherings. Each season, more than 60 children join The Home Run Club— a suite donated by the Rays with food and beverages provided by Centerplate— and attend a series of home games in the suite. When the suite isn't being used for The Home Run Club events, the Heart Gallery and local partner Eckerd Community Alternatives host special adoption events to introduce children to prospective families.

The food and beverage costs for the Celebrate Me Home! dinner will be donated by Centerplate and the Tampa Bay Rays, and all proceeds from tonight's event will provide continued funding for the Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco Counties.

About Centerplate

Centerplate is a global leader in live event hospitality, "Making It Better To Be There^®" for more than 115 million guests each year at more than 350 prominent entertainment, sports and convention venues across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom. 30 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, 13 Super Bowls, 21 World Series, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the largest plated dinner in history at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Celebration. Visit the company online at www.centerplate.com

About the Heart Gallery

Our mission is to provide an emotionally safe way to promote local adoption. As part of the national Heart Gallery movement, the Heart Gallery of Pinellas & Pasco was created to serve foster children and prospective adoptive families. The Heart Gallery is a place where families looking for children come face to face with children in need of a forever, adoptive home. Professional photographers give their time and their talent to create amazing portraits of foster children available for adoption, and a host of volunteers make the Gallery a reality. Since 2006, the Heart Gallery has helped over 159 children find their forever families. To learn more visit heartgallerykids.org.

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SOURCE Centerplate