Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth celebrates grand opening of baseball field at East Side branch

by PegNews wire

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing enriching programs for local youth from disadvantaged circumstances, will celebrate the grand opening of a new baseball field at their East Side Branch on September 18, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. The new field is made possible by a grant from The Baseball Tomorrow Fund, an initiative created by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

The celebration will take place at the new field, located at 4651 Ramey Avenue in Fort Worth, a location chosen strategically to impact some of the most underserved children in the community. The grand opening event will include a ribbon cutting, a Baseball Scramble with prizes for the kids, plus a brief baseball game for Club youth and former Texas Rangers on the new field.

"We are so grateful to The Baseball Tomorrow Fund for this new field," said Daphne Barlow, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth. "It's not only an asset to our children, but to the surrounding community as well. It will help our youth learn important life skills such as respect, responsibility and sportsmanship, all while having fun."

The grant awarded in February, 2009 by The Baseball Tomorrow Fund to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth for this project totaled $155,200. The new field will accommodate players of all ages and serve youth at all the Fort Worth area Boys & Girls Clubs. Additionally, it will raise the Club's profile in the community and encourage more youth to become Club members and/or program participants.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, The Baseball Tomorrow Fund is designed to promote the growth of youth baseball and softball throughout the world by awarding grants to support field renovation and construction projects, equipment and uniform purchases, coaches' training materials and other selected program expenses. Since its formation in 1999 by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, the organization has awarded approximately 400 grants totaling more than $15 million to non-profit and tax-exempt organizations throughout the world.

"The Baseball Tomorrow Fund appreciates the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth's commitment to youth baseball and softball in its community," said Cathy Bradley, executive director of The Baseball Tomorrow Fund, "and we are pleased to support the continued growth of this program in the Fort Worth area."

Source: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth