The day after the Phillies lavished ace Cole Hamels with a $144 million deal, the team raised $858,340 for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) patients during the team’s 23rd annual fundraiser to help beat the progressive neuromuscular disorder Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.
There were 21 autograph stations throughout the ballpark. Lines were long for fans waiting for Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels’ signatures.
There were four photograph stations. Shane Victorino, Vance Worley, Hunter Pence and Phillies alumni, Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski, posed with fans.
Considering the relentless traffic the players experienced during the hour and 45 minutes of glad-handing fans, Worley and Pence were surprisingly playful with the crowd.
“So I hear you call me One-Hundred Pence,” Pence said to 7-year-old Phillies fan Milo.
“Yes, Hundred, that’s your name,” the kid said to his favorite player, which elicited laughter from the Phillies long, lanky right fielder, amused by a name that makes Pence sound like currency.
Speaking of currency, after fans collected signatures and memories, well-heeled Phillies followers doled out some serious bucks for the auctions. The live auction raised $49,850 and the silent auction raised $45,620
The Dream Scene, a Phillies limited edition print featuring such franchise greats as Grover Cleveland Alexander, Del Ennis, Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard fetched $7,500.
