The Rockford RiverHawks and the Rock River Valley Blood Center announced on Wednesday their RRVBC “Straight From the Heart” Wednesday promotion. The only supplier of blood products and services to Stateline hospitals have partnered with Rockford’s only professional baseball team to encourage and reward blood donors.

Fans who donate blood to the RRVBC in the months of June, July and August will receive a ticket voucher for any Wednesday home game.

“The summer months are the most challenging time to collect blood,” said Jennifer Bowman, RRVBC public relations and marketing manager. “Nice weather, summer activities, vacations and changing schedules all cause the level of donations to decrease during the summer months.

“At the same time, that same nice weather and summer activities can cause a marked increase in traumas and accidents which often require blood products for treatment.”

According to statistics provided by the RRVBC, one in three Americans will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime. Every two seconds, an American needs blood.

“Blood donation is a quick and simple way to help save a life,” said RiverHawks assistant general manager Todd Fulk, who has donated more than three gallons of blood over the last six years.

Rockford’s only professional baseball team announced Wednesday that it has scheduled the Northern Illinois Baseball Senior Classic. The game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. June 18 at Road Ranger Stadium.

“All of us coaches all agree that it just highlights some of the great baseball that’s being played around this area,” Guilford High School coach Steve Mrizek said. “This gives them a stage to be together at one time on one field. It gives them a chance to be rcognized by the coaches, by the public and maybe even to be recognized by some of the college coaches that missed them (during recruiting).”

All players will be graduating seniors. One all-star team will represent larger area schools, and the other will represent the smaller programs. Coaches from the involved schools will be able to nominate seniors from any school. A committee of three coaches for each all-star team will make the roster decisions.

“The goal is really to have at least one representative from each school,” Mrizek said.

The area has not had a high-school all-star game since the 1980s, he said.

“We really want to do more to showcase players,” Mrizek said.

RiverHawks general manager Josh Olerud said the game has been in the works for nearly a year. Road Ranger Stadium’s centralized location, next to Interstate 90, and the date of the game, on the same weekend as a major showcase event near Chicago, will make the game attractive to college and professional scouts, who can see that event, but still be exposed to local talent.

“These kids kind of get left on the side,” Olerud said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re doing it. This also demonstrates our commitment to community involvement. We also want to help the growth of players’ careers.”

Rockford’s only professional baseball team announced Tuesday that it has picked up second baseman Greg Lemon from the Worchester Tornadoes of the independent Can-Am League in a trade for a player to be named later. Lemon, who struck out just 20 times in 83 games with two CAL teams last season, was the most consistent contact hitter in the circuit.

“He fits the mold of what we’re trying to do with contact guys, trying to make things happen with a little more speed, a little more fundamental ability, baseball wise,” RiverHawks co-owner and director of baseball operations Dave Ciarrachi said.

Lemon, who started the year with New Hampshire and was dealt to Worchester on Aug. 28, combined to hit .282 with no home runs and 17 RBI. He struck out once every 17.65 plate appearances, the best ratio in the league. In 2008, with St. George of the Golden League, Lemon hit .386 and struck out once every 11.86 trips to the plate.

Lemon has played second, third, shortstop and outfield, but Ciarrachi plans to play the fourth-year professional as the everyday second baseman because Lemon’s previous team described him as a reliable defender. Of Lemon’s 14 errors last year, 12 came at shortstop.