Frankfort, KY - Kenny Fullman '93 will be featured on the TODAY Show July 8 about being honored July 13 at the 81st Major League Baseball All-Star Game as the Chicago White Sox's All-Star. Fullman will join 29 other individuals selected by major league teams for their outstanding community contributions for a pre-game ceremony at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, on FOX.
Fullman was nominated for the honor because of his work with the Amateur City Elite, an inner-city high school baseball program that provides youths mentoring and sports training for a college or professional baseball career. He also works as a Chicago police officer and the head baseball coach at Harlan Community Academy High School.
He will fly out to Anaheim, Calif., July 11 to participate in all of the activities surrounding the All-Star Game, capping the experience with the pre-game ceremony and game in Angels Stadium.
"It is a great honor just to be selected as a finalist, because the 90 finalists all represented great organizations and had great ideas for improving their communities," Fullman said. "I am happy to be selected the winner and to represent the White Sox, and I hope I live up to the honor."
Fullman and the other 89 finalists competed for votes online to win the All-Star honor. More than 1.7 million votes were cast to decide the 30 All-Stars.
This is not the first time Fullman has been recognized for his community service. In April 2007, he was named the Preps Coach of the Week by the Chicago Defender. However, Fullman gets more out of the experience than the glory. He started working with kids because he knows the importance of having strong role models.
While trying to break up a group of kids fighting, Fullman's father, Gerald, was shot and killed. Fullman was only 12.
"I want to try to save kids before they shoot someone else," Fullman said. "I figure if I work with them now, they are less likely to be on the streets fighting and possibly take someone else's father away."
He has loved baseball since he was 5 years old. He played baseball growing up, coached his younger brother's T-ball team, was the co-captain of the KSU baseball team and now is a professional baseball scout for the Chicago White Sox. He has been to the World Series, taken kids to the World Series and experienced nearly everything when it comes to baseball.
Fullman graduated from KSU with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi's Majestic Psi Psi chapter. He dreams of one day returning to his alma mater to coach the Thorobreds.
