Here are some upcoming events with Cubs fans that will raise money for good causes

Heyo Cubs fans! I wanted to fill you in on three upcoming events for Cubs fans in the Chicago area and around the world, with opportunities to meet current (Kyle Schwarber) and former (John Baker) Cubs players and share in a Global Game Watch with Cubs fans on four of the six habitable continents.

Let’s start with Ivy Envy’s Global Game Watch taking place on Saturday, June 30.

The Ivy Envy podcast has invited listeners of their podcast and Cubs fans everywhere to host and attend a Global Game Watch where fans can get together and watch the Cubs take on the Twins this coming Saturday, June 30. At current count, there are 60 different Game Watches listed on the Global Game Watch Facebook Group, from Wrigleyville to China and 58 different locales in between. Join the Page and find and attend an Game Watch near you!

Check out the cool interactive map Ivy Envy has created of all the far flung Cubs fans who are hosting and attending game watches! Find one near you!

If you would like to host a last-minute event, click here and sign up. It’s a great opportunity to meet Cubs fans who live near you!

I am personally hosting the Wrigleyville Global Game Watch at G-Man Tavern, 3740 N. Clark, just a couple of blocks north of Wrigley Field. I’ll be playing a set of my Cubs music at around 12:30 before the game, and post game, The Garvey Train will take the stage with their psychedelic groove jams. It’s going to be a blast and I hope to see you there!

Gman has created a separate event as well. Join that too and spread the word!

The next event I want to fill you in on is an opportunity meet Kyle Schwarber at Stewart McVicar’s Club 400 on Sunday, July 1 at 6 p.m. to benefit Kyle’s Neighborhood Heroes.

If you don’t know about Club 400, it’s an award winning Cubs Fan Cave in suburban Lake in the Hills, where Stewart McVicar has built a museum of memorabilia and hosted Cubs players like Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson while raising money for charity with the motto “Cubs Fans Helping Cubs Fans.” I wrote an article about it for BCB when I first visited.

It’s a unique opportunity to spend time with a Cubs great in an intimate setting. Check out Javier Baez tagging me at the last event to benefit victims of the hurricane in Puerto Rico!

Excellent food and drinks are always provided, and there will be a 45 minute Q-and-A with Kyle Schwarber hosted by Jesse Rogers, plus live and silent auctions. In addition, you will get you picture taken with Kyle and a signed photo!

There are fewer than 50 tickets left. So if you want to meet Kyle Schwarber, act fast and purchase your tickets here.

Finally, on Saturday, July 21, The Son Ranto Show, Ivy Envy, and Club 400 are teaming up with Bleed Cubbie Blue and Cubs Insider to throw the third annual “John Baker Day” and celebrate the night the backup catcher got the win and longest game by time in Cubs team history, all while raising money for the Knoll family of Huntley, Illinois who had five members of their family injured in a terrible auto accident earlier this year.

Former Cubs catcher and current Mental Skills Coordinator John Baker will be joining us at Nisei Lounge between games of the Cubs doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals,. probably beginning around 3 and 3:30 p.m. and ending between 5 and 5:30.

We’ll have a Q-and-A with John Baker whose war stories and insight into the game of baseball are as entertaining as they are informative. Plus a trivia contest, Cubs raffles, prizes and musical performances by yours truly and “By the Lakeside” compser and Cubs songstress Katie Day.

This year, we will be selling John Baker Day T-Shirts and Fanny Packs, with all proceeds from the raffles and tickets sales going to help the Knoll Family recover from their terrible accident.

The fanny packs were actually delivered while I was writing this article!

Danny Rockett

Tickets to the John Baker Day event, Shirts and Fanny Packs are all available here at Ivy Envy’s website and also available for shipping. Act fast! If you want to attend John Baker Day the capacity of Nisei Lounge is only 120, and only T-Shirt orders received before July 1 will be available for pickup at the John Baker Day event. (All other shirt orders will be shipped.)

We will have images of the shirts and fanny packs on the website soon, but this year’s shirt will have this logo on a light blue shirt.

You can purchase all John Baker Day items separately as well. (Images coming soon) Get them here. And join our John Baker Day Facebook Event to stay in touch with all John Baker Day news!

If you have any Cubs related items of value to give away in the raffle or silent auction. Please contact me at sonranto@gmail.com. In the past, people have donated Bobbleheads, Vintage Pins, and Cubs Autographs. This year, a Son Ranto listener from Australia has already donated this David Ross Autographed World Series photo!

Also, Corey Fineran of Ivy Envy and I recorded a podcast to give you all the details and talk about the origins of John Baker Day. You can listen to it here.

There you have it! Three great ways to connect with Cubs fans and players past and present while connecting fans globally and raising money for great causes! Join us and help make the 2018 Cubs season the best one ever!