5 Things You Need to Know Today: August 5

1. The Marauders go pink this Saturday, raising awareness for breast cancer. Get Your Pink On! is the theme to the 7 p.m. start against the Jupiter Hammerheads, sponsored by Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute and Blake Medical Center.  The Marauders will wear specialty pink jerseys to be auctioned off during the night's game. The winning fans will collect their jerseys on the field after the game. The auction will benefit Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, an initiative of the American Cancer Society.  There will also be a pink bra contest and breast cancer survivors are invited to march on the warning track at 6:30 p.m. For ticketing information and more about the Marauders, visit Bradenton Marauders.com or call (941) 747-3031. 

2. Prices on real estate in Bradenton are up slightly compared to last year, according to local Realtors. While housing prices are up the condominium market is also active. Homebuilder Lennar announced Thursday that it has received strong demand for its new Terrace Condominiums located at River Strand in Bradenton's Heritage Harbour community. The first of four 30-unit Terrace condominium buildings has sold out even though it is not scheduled for completion for another six weeks. Pricing on Lennar’s Terrace Condominiums at River Strand starts from the mid $100s and includes a free golf membership with home purchase. 

3. International Cultural Exchange Services is looking for host families in Bradenton for high school students, ages 15-18. The students will attend area high schools, so need to be placed with families before the start of the school year. The students, who come from Germany, Brazil, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, South Korea, China, and Finland, want to experience life with a typical American family. Every student is anxiously waiting to find out where they will be going and to meet their new American families. They come with their own money and insurance.  Families may agree to a 30-day trial period. Interested families should contact Rhonda Scharnus, Regional Administrator, International Cultural Exchange Services at 888-656-9481 or by email at rscharnus@icesusa.org.

4. Baseball Factory’s annual National World Series at Spring Training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, will take place from August 3 to 7 and August 10 to 14. Baseball Factory has teamed up with Roberto’s Kids, an international non-profit organization that strives to bridge the gap between different cultures through baseball. Baseball Factory is asking parents and players attending the Baseball Factory National World Series at Pirate City to please donate any new or gently worn baseball equipment to Roberto’s Kids. Others not attending the Baseball Factory National World Series at Pirate City can also donate by sending their used equipment to Baseball Factory Headquarters. Roberto’s Kids is named after the late Pittsburgh Pirate’s Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente. The organization honors Clemente’s memory by continuing his efforts to make a difference in the lives of others. Roberto’s Kids believes that growing up with baseball instills important lessons and values in a child. The non-profit's philosophy is that allowing youth in underprivileged areas to gain this experience and knowledge will ultimately lead to developing social and community responsibility for the children and their families. This past year, Roberto’s Kids sent 30 tons of donated baseball equipment to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, and various areas of the United States.

5. The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition, “Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants,” is on view at the South Florida Museum, 201 10th St W, Bradenton. It will remain on view in the Museum’s East Gallery through Oct. 9,  before it continues on its 15-city national tour through 2015. Bradenton is the second stop on the exhibition’s schedule. Access to the exhibition is included with general admission to the Museum. Small yet abundant, with complex and wildly diverse lifestyles, ants are everywhere, living lives mostly hidden from our view. With the aid of a macro lens and the insights of ant expert and photographer Dr. Mark Moffett, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History helps visitors understand this world.