Scripps Research’s Florida campus sits a stone’s throw away from the home of the Miami Marlins’ minor league baseball team, the Jupiter Hammerheads, so the Hammerheads wanted to support the exceptional science and educational programming happening in their neighborhood. 

With collectable sneakers trending and back-to-school shoe shopping in full swing, the Hammerheads organized a unique fundraiser, “Sneakers for Science,” to support research on incurable diseases at Scripps Research. Shoe vendors and fun science education tables filled the ballpark concourse, and collectable shoes signed by athletes and local celebrities were raffled between innings of the Hammerheads vs. Fort Myers Miracle baseball game. 

Before the game, five players and the team’s general manager visited the labs to learn about the research and compare shoes with scientists for a fun “Whose shoes?” video. 

“The amount of unique and advanced work they’re doing is unbelievable until you really see it for yourself,” stated Jupiter Hammerheads General Manager Jamie Toole. 

Scripps Research Executive Vice President Douglas Bingham said the money raised at “Sneakers for Science” will help scientists tackle unmet medical needs and enable them to offer more educational opportunities for local students. 

“The community’s support for ‘Sneakers for Science’ and for our work in general means so much to us,” Bingham said.