The Tribune

ON Monday, Dunkin’ Donuts on East Street was transformed into the epicentre of baseball and Dunkin’ delights, as local baseball players from the highly anticipated Don’t Blink Home Run Derby took a break from knocking balls out of the park to serve customers not only coffee and donuts, but lots of smiles.

In a fusion of sports, caffeine and community, Dunkin’ Bahamas proudly announces its partnership with the 2023 Don’t Blink Home Run Derby, a dynamic event created by esteemed Bahamian international major league baseball prospects Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox, with the Washington Nationals.

Katherine Nelson, operations manager for Dunkin’ Bahamas, said: “As an official MVP sponsor of the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby, we are honoured to be a part of this event.

“The Don’t Blink Home Run Derby is a celebration of baseball, community and the vibrant spirit of The Bahamas.

“Our collaboration goes beyond coffee, it’s about creating memorable experiences for our customers and supporting initiatives that uplift our young people and our community.

“Today, we brought the excitement of the Derby right to our Dunkin’ store. We are truly grateful to our talented young Bahamian baseball stars who will be participating in the Derby for taking a break from the field, swapping bats for Dunkin’ aprons and serving our customers while promoting this weekend’s Home Run Derby.”

“This week, we are also providing Dunkin’ Donuts and goodie bags to the Kids Baseball and Softball Skills Clinic and more donuts with our signature refreshers for the Future’s Showcase scheduled for Wednesday at the Andre Rodgers Stadium.”

In 2017, event co-founders, Isaacs and Fox recognised the need for inclusive baseball experiences in The Bahamas, inspiring them to establish the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby. This extraordinary event provides a unique opportunity for young baseball enthusiasts to watch and play with international league players at home. Now in its sixth instalment of the event, it has grown to a full week of activities, including the Kids Clinic, a Celebrity Game, Golf Tournament and main event, the Home Run Derby scheduled for Saturday, December 9 at Montagu Beach.

Isaacs expressed gratitude to Dunkin’ Bahamas. “Having Dunkin’ on board as a sponsor for this year’s event is significant and we are appreciative. Our partners allow us to bring baseball to the kids in our local communities and to bring our vision for this year’s event to life, to showcase The Bahamas while we advance the game of baseball. We are very grateful! Today was a really cool experience here at Dunkin’ and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to interact with customers, fans and the Dunkin’ employees and to put smiles on faces as we start the week.”

About the main events, Isaacs added: “This week we will be bringing some of the best players to play the game alongside today’s top talent and the future stars of baseball in a high number of energy events. Not only is this a baseball showcase, but we are opening the doors of The Bahamas to showcase the beauty of our country while highlighting the depth of our sports talent and creating opportunities for future generations.”

Lucius Fox, co-founder for the event, also expressed gratitude for the support offered to the event over the years but noted that there is stillmore work to do.

“Our vision is to take the event to the Family Islands, there are so many Bahamians that have never had the opportunity to experience what we do so we want to take the show to them.”

Fox, who also donned a Dunkin’ apron, said: “We are super grateful to Dunkin’ for allowing us to come into the store and help serve customers, make drinks and even learn how to frost donuts. This was a unique, fun experience for us and we look forward to building on this partnership in years to come.”

At the heart of the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby is a thrilling competition where players vie to hit the most balls the furthest into the water, scheduled this Saturday, December 9 at Montagu Beach.

Aptly named ‘The Greatest Show on Sand,’ this event not only entertains but also serves as a catalyst for increased tourism, community engagement and economic opportunities.

About Dunkin’ Bahamas:

Dunkin’ Bahamas, proud MVP Sponsor of the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby, is dedicated to blending the joy of Dunkin’ with the passion for community and sportsmanship. There are nine Dunkin’ locations across the island of New Providence.