EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox put their full support behind one of their own Wednesday night.
Everett joined Sox outfielder Braden Bishop’s crusade against early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, holding its 4MOM night during Wednesday’s game against the Spokane Indians at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“When I first got here I wasn’t expecting to do this,” Bishop said prior to Wednesday’s game. “I’d done it in college, but I thought with the short season it wasn’t enough time or enough notice. But they were really great about doing this. They were gung-ho about it, and I’m really thankful to the AquaSox for making it happen.”
Bishop’s mother Suzy was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s last September, and he’s been heavily active in raising awareness and funds for the cause ever since. He started a charity called 4MOM that raised more than $10,000 during his junior year at the University of Washington.
Bishop continued to be active once he joined the professional ranks, and the Sox joined the fray Wednesday. Everett partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association, which worked the gates, handed out t-shirts and wristbands, and set up a memory wall in the concourse. There was also a purple theme in the ballpark, the color Bishop adopted for his efforts because of his connection to the University of Washington.
“I think it’s great,” Sox manager Rob Mummau said. “It’s a great event to have and he’s a super guy. With the Alzheimer’s cause and the fundraising and everything about it, its a great thing to have here in Everett.”
Originally the Sox had no plans to hold a 4MOM night. However, the event came together quickly as the Sox managed to put the promotion together in a matter of weeks.
“A couple people reached out to the AquaSox through social media and said it would be great if we did something like this,” Bishop explained about how the event came into being.
There wasn’t enough time for the team to have hats or jerseys made, so the night was more about raising awareness than about raising funds. It also gave Bishop the chance to promote his Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which is scheduled for Oct. 3 in Everett.
Bishop’s teammates have enthusiastically taken to the cause, too. On Wednesday they sported purple athletic tape and inked “4MOM” on their forearms. The support included players who don’t even play for the Sox anymore, as several former Everett players tweeted their support throughout Wednesday.
“They love it,” Bishop said. “Both teams that I’ve been on, Washington and the AquaSox, everyone’s been so supportive. It’s overwhelming for me because it is a tough situation to be in, it’s a tough situation of play under. So to have guys around me who are so supportive, want to be a part of it, want to help get the word out and want to be there for me, it’s an overwhelming sense of support.”
And Bishop’s mother continues to put up a good fight against the disease.
“She’s doing better,” Bishop said. “She just saw a new team of doctors and they’re putting her through some tests to see where she’s at. She’s in good spirits.”
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