Victorino honored in native Hawaii with state Proclamation

Shane Victorino has been in his native Hawaii since last week, raising money for his foundation and visiting family and friends.

Victorino hosted his fourth annual celebrity golf classic in Wailea over the weekend to raise money for educational, recreational and wellness programs for children in Hawaii. Among the guests was teammate Jimmy Rollins. Victorino also appeared at a basketball clinic in West Maui.

To top it off, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie declared Monday as "Shane Victorino Day" in the state. Victorino had previously been honored with a day in Maui after the Phillies won the World Series in 2008.

The proclamation said the day was intended to "encourage the people of the Aloha State to join us in recognizing Shane Victorino for his outstanding accomplishments in baseball, and for his contributions to the health and wellness of our communities throughout the State."

The Shane Victorino Foundation has raised more than $550,00 for youth charities in Hawaii.

On Twitter, Victorino wrote, "#Mahalo Governor @neilabercrombie for today's ceremony truly honored to represent the #808!"

Here is the full text of the governor's proclamation:

In Recognition of Shane Victorino Day

WHEREAS, Shane Victorino won the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 400 meter races in the Hawaiian State Track

Championships in 1999, setting the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association 100-meter record; and

WHEREAS, Shane Victorino is the second Maui born athlete to play Major League Baseball (MLB), born November 30, 1980 in Wailuku, Hawai'i and drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth round of the 1999 amateur draft out of St. Anthony High School in Wailuku, Hawai'i; and

WHEREAS, Shane Victorino is a two-time Major League Baseball National League All Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winning center fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies; and

WHEREAS, Shane Victorino continues to excel on the baseball field by leading the Phillies in batting average this past season, being named the Phillies' 2011 Most Valuable Player by the Philadelphia Baseball Writers Association; and currently having a .996 fielding percentage that leads all outfield players in MLB history who have played more than 500 games; and

WHEREAS, Shane Victorino was recently inducted as the 20th Member of the Baseball Humanitarian's Hall of Fame with the presentation of the Branch Rickey Award and was named by the U.S. Jaycees as one of the "2011 Top 10 Young Americans"; and

WHEREAS, Shane Victorino and his wife, Melissa, established the Shane Victorino Foundation in February 2010 with a mission of promoting opportunities for underprivileged youth in Hawai'i and Philadelphia. The Foundation engages in projects which provide children with educational, recreational and well ness programs; and

WHEREAS, Shane Victorino through the Shane Victorino Foundation has raised more than $550,000 for children's charities throughout Hawai'i, including the Best Buddies of Hawaii, Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui, Hawaii Branch of the international Dyslexia Association, Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation, Maui Family Support Services, Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike, Palama Settlement and the Waipio Little League; and

WHEREAS, the Shane Victorino Foundation pledged nearly $1 million to renovate a Philadelphia Boys & Girls Club that was recently re-opened as the Shane Victorino Boys & Girls Club, making him only the second MLB player to have a Club in his name;

THEREFORE, I, NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Governor, and I, BRIAN SCHATZ, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawai'i, do hereby proclaim November 21, 2011 as "SHANE VICTORINO DAY" in Hawai'i and encourage the people of the Aloha State to join us in recognizing Shane Victorino for his outstanding accomplishments in baseball, and for his contributions to the health and wellness of our communities throughout the State.

DONE at the State Capitol, in the Executive Chambers, Honolulu, State of Hawai'i this twenty-first day of November, 2011.

NEIL ABERCROMBIE

Governor, State of Hawai'i

BRIAN SCHAT

Lt. Governor, State of Hawai'i