The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they will host the annual African American Heritage Weekend with a variety of events on Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21 as the Pirates host the New York Mets at PNC Park.

Listed below are the events that will take place during the two-day celebration.

Friday, August 20:

Pirates Community Champion Awards Presentation – The Pirates will recognize six “Community Champions” during a special pregame ceremony. Jim Bendel from Adelphoi Village, Bridge N. Driver from FedEx Ground, Baron B.B. Flenory from Pressley Ridge, Tony Joseph from Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater, Joseph Lagana from Homeless Children’s Education Fund and Chuck Sanders from Urban Lending Solutions were all nominated by their fellow citizens for having positively contributed to the betterment of the diverse community in our region.

2010 Pirates Poster Giveaway – Every fan in attendance at the game on Friday will receive a 2010 Pirates Poster compliments of Knepper Press. The game begins at 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, August 21:

African American Heritage Festival – The annual festival will take place on Federal Street from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Twenty organizations will be on hand to provide information on different community initiatives and resources available throughout the Pittsburgh region. In addition, the Afro-American Music Institute will perform live on Federal Street, and carnival-style food will be available for purchase.

Larry Doby “Legacy” Rookie of the Year Award – Andrew McCutchen will be presented with the Larry Doby “Legacy” 2009 Rookie of the Year Award in a pregame ceremony. The Legacy Awards are presented by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum annually to recognize the outstanding achievements of Major League Baseball players and officials with awards named for the great players of the Negro Leagues. Larry Doby helped to integrate Major League Baseball when he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1947.

Throwback Uniforms – The Pirates and Mets will honor the Negro Leagues by wearing Pittsburgh Crawfords and New York Cubans uniforms for the game on Saturday.

Pittsburgh Crawfords Cap Giveaway – All fans will receive a Pittsburgh Crawfords Cap courtesy of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. The game begins at 7:05 p.m.

Fans attending Heritage Weekend games are also encouraged to stop by Highmark Legacy Square, a permanent interactive exhibit to honor and preserve the history of the Negro Leagues and the great players from the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords. The interactive exhibit, located inside the Left Field Gate Entrance at PNC Park, shares the inspiring story of these remarkable athletes that helped revolutionize the sports and business world in their own way and is open throughout the entire baseball season.