Who among us doesn’t have a closet filled with bobbleheads, fleece blankets and seat cusions collected from stadium giveaways? Don’t you wish that you could, just for once, get something that you could really use? Well, the LehighValley IronPigs, who are the the Philadelphia Phillies Triple-A affiliate (would that make them the a-Phillies-ate?), is trying to fill that desire for the fan who wants to literally live and die with their favorite team.
The fan who submits the best 200-word essay describing his or her perfect funeral will win…a funeral. This is not a joke, it’s a dead serious giveaway (see what we did there?). It’s being billed as the “Celebration of Life” giveaway. Too bad the winner will have to be as dead as the Phillies’ post-season dreams to enjoy it.
According to the team’s website, Reichel Funeral Home is providing the following prize package valued at $7,500:
- A casket
- Professional services of a funeral director and staff
- Body removal and preparation (embalming or cremation)
- Use of facilities and services for viewing (visitation/wake), funeral ceremony, memorial service and graveside services
- Vehicle to transfer remains to funeral home along with Hearse for cemetery transfer
But wait…there’s more! In addition to the funereal offerings, a local memorial company will provide a complimentary headstone (valued at $1,500) and a local florist will offer a casket spray of flowers (valued at $300) bringing the total winnings to just under $10,000.
This is not the first creative giveaway in the IronPigs’ history. In the past, the team has given away foam fingers to remind fans to get prostate exams, and had “urinal games” to promote urological health. We love an organization who thinks outside the (pine) box.
