State Farm® and Major League Baseball® Deliver in the Clutch Through 'GO TO BAT™' Program

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of baseball's biggest moments during the second half of the season came courtesy of the long ball, and those home runs took on a whole new meaning to those who love the game. The State Farm "GO TO BAT" program donated $184,800 to various charities based on the 1,848 home runs hit during Major League Baseball games from July 19-Sept. 26. More than 100,000 people went to bat for their favorite causes through the online, charitable initiative driven by State Farm's commitment to being there for the community.

"State Farm, our agents and associates go to bat for our customers and their communities every day, so this was a natural extension of who we are," said Todd Fischer, manager of national sponsorships for State Farm. "The 'GO TO BAT' program gave home runs even greater meaning this season and made a lasting impact for the causes that mean the most to fans and their communities. Some home runs win games ... but this season 1,848 home runs also made a difference for someone who needs it."

The "GO TO BAT" program culminated with an on-field recognition before the first pitch of Game Four of the 2010 MLB World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers. The pre-game ceremony behind home plate at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington showcased the program's cumulative impact and recognized the 10 individual winners and their selected charities. Also, State Farm announced a $25,000 donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®, the charity that received the most overall support during the promotion. This final donation brought the total amount given to charities during the "GO TO BAT" program to $209,800.

Fans visited www.statefarm.com/gotobat, and went to bat for their favorite causes by selecting one of the designated charities on the website. State Farm randomly selected a weekly individual winner and awarded a donation to the charity they chose to support. For every home run hit in MLB games during the previous week, State Farm donated $100 to that individual winner's charity. In addition, the selected winner was awarded a trip for two to the 2010 World Series. Fans could 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 was equal to another entry for the entrant and their charity.

A total of ten (10) winners were drawn during the "GO TO BAT" program. The following individual winners and charities were honored prior to Game Four of the 2010 World Series:

• Helen Wright (Oakland, Calif.) went to bat for the National 4-H Council and helped earn a $20,000 donation
• Patrick Moore (West Chester, Pa.) went to bat for the Alzheimer's Association and helped earn a $18,100 donation
• James Giroud (Fair Oaks, Calif.) went to bat for the American Heart Association and helped earn a $18,400 donation
• Heidi Marzen (Madison, Wis.) went to bat for the Susan G. Komen For The Cure and helped earn a $18,000 donation
• Dan Dillon (San Francisco, Calif.) went to bat for the National Fallen Firefighters and helped earn a $17,100 donation
• Julie Schmitz (Omaha, Neb.) went to bat for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and helped earn a $19,900 donation
• Michael Church (Auburn, N.Y.) went to bat for Pitch In For Baseball and helped earn a $17,700 donation
• Mihaela Mann (Renton, Wash.) went to bat for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and helped earn a $17,600 donation
• Kristian Quiroz (Hockessin, Del.) went to bat for American Red Cross and helped earn a $19,200 donation
• Jeremy Hall (Phil Campbell, Ala.) went to bat for American Heart Association and helped earn a $18,200 donation

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 66,500 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