Ducks think pink

The Long Island Ducks today announced that they will host their First Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night on Saturday, September 2, when the club takes on the Somerset Patriots. During the September 2 contest, the Ducks will don commemorative pink jerseys and play with special pink bats.

"Over 20 years ago my mother, Dorothy Boulton, lost her battle with breast cancer," says Ducks principal owner Frank Boulton. "As a husband and father of two daughters, I know the importance of breast cancer awareness. Our organization is proud to be able to host an evening to raise breast cancer awareness across Long Island and to salute those organizations that are fighting hard to find a cure."

More than 14 organizations and coalitions have teamed up with the Ducks to present this special evening (for a complete list of organizations involved, see below). Each organization will have between 100-250 tickets donated to their organization that they will be able to sell as a fundraiser, and will have tables on Citibank Park's concourse to raise awareness of breast cancer on the Island.

The special jerseys and bats will be auctioned off with all proceeds donated by the QuackerJack Foundation to the participating organizations.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union and Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center have signed on as the event's corporate sponsors. On September 2, they will provide 1,000 copies of Ray Negron's best selling book The Boy of Steel to children 14 and under. Negron will also be on hand that evening to autograph his book, which teaches a young boy with cancer the important lesson of never giving up, through his love of baseball. In addition, the first 1,500 adults into the ballpark will receive commemorative pink T-shirts.

"We look forward to this evening and know that our partners are just as excited," adds Boulton. "With the jersey auction and the concourse tables, we will be able to raise money and awareness of local organizations and their work with breast cancer."

The Long Island Ducks would like to thank the following organizations for their partnership in the First Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night:

Bethpage Federal Credit Union Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center The Boy of Steel

Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition Breast Cancer Help, Inc. Mary Stolfa Cancer Foundation

Brentwood/Bay Shore Breast Cancer Coalition Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund The North Fork Breast Cancer Research Fund

South Fork Breast Health Coalition Islip Breast Cancer Coalition West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition

1-in-9/Hewlitt House Southampton Hospital Breast Center The QuackerJack Foundation

Huntington Breast Cancer Coalition

The Long Island Ducks are in their seventh season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. They have averaged over 100 percent attendance capacity of 6,002-seat Citibank Park in each of their first six seasons and are one of the most successful minor league sports franchises in the country. For further information, visit www.liducks.com or call 631-940-DUCK.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.