Major League Baseball and the San Diego Padres today announced the 2016 All-Star Legacy initiative, which consists of community improvement projects designed to leave a lasting impact throughout Greater San Diego and, for the first time in All-Star history, internationally in Mexico. This effort features the development of several formal and casual youth playing surfaces, including the first softball-specific All-Star Legacy project.
The various All-Star Community Legacy projects, which will be unveiled leading up to the 87th MLB All-Star Game presented by MasterCard on Tuesday, July 12th, will be completed in cooperation with organizations and facilities that support youth and veterans. The overall effort is made possible by the contribution of nearly $5 million toward these local projects as well as to national charitable organizations.
Nearly $5 Million to Local Projects and National Charities
MLB Charities and the Padres Foundation, a fund of the San Diego Foundation, plan to donate nearly $5 million, a significant portion of which will go toward the All-Star legacy initiative. The donation also will support national charitable organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Jackie Robinson Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer, among others. The funds will be raised from Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 11th. 
MLB All-Star Legacy Projects
· Club de Niños y Niñas de Mexico (Tijuana, Baja California) -- For the first time in Midsummer Classic history, MLB All-Star Community Legacy efforts in 2016 will include a cross-border, international project: the creation of an All-Star Complex at the Club de Niños y Niñas de Mexico (Boys & Girls Club of Mexico). Planned renovations at the facility most notably include the conversion of a nearly 16,000 sq. ft. basketball court into a multi-use recreation area featuring a kickball/WIFFLE ball field. The project also will upgrade two batting cages by installing new netting and safety infrastructure, as well as a pitching machine. Additional improvements include the leveling and grading of a parking lot at the facility to provide protection from water damage, the aesthetic refresh of meal and rest areas, and the installation of new ventilation, drop ceiling, lighting, main entrance, and wall plastering in the auditorium to allow for year-round use. The club, which opened in 2008 and serves 750 children daily from low-income neighborhoods throughout Tijuana, was the first Boys & Girls Club in Mexico.
· Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego (Mitchell Branch -- Escondido, CA) -- Funding will re-purpose an existing parking lot and greenspace into a multi-purpose baseball diamond complete with manual scoreboard, moveable fences and a large shade structure. Since 1941, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego has changed lives through quality youth programs and guidance in a safe, affordable and fun environment.
· San Pasqual Academy (Escondido, CA) -- San Pasqual Academy is a first-in-the-nation residential education campus for boys and girls, ages 12-18. The Academy is designed specifically to meet the needs of foster teens. The softball field at San Pasqual Academy needs significant improvements due to consistent flooding each time it rains. Field work will include conditioning, elevating and grading the infield to stop water ponding, grading and leveling the outfield and replacing the outfield sod. Improvements include the installation of new base inserts, bases, home plate, new scoreboard, foul poles and a dugout drainage system and drain line as well as a catch basin to alleviate water ponding. This is the first softball-specific project in All-Star Legacy history.
· The Jackie Robinson Family YMCA (San Diego, CA) -- This project supports the development of the youth baseball and softball fields and outdoor recreational area in conjunction with the complete rebuild of the existing complex. This effort will allow the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA (JRYMCA) to put a renewed emphasis on baseball and softball for boys and girls living in one of San Diego County's most high-risk communities. The goal is to have the JRYMCA fully functional by Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, 2017. The JRYMCA programming focuses on youth development, encouraging healthy living and embracing social responsibility. JRYMCA has served an ethnically diverse community of more than 250,000 Southeastern San Diego residents since 1943. 
· Monarch School (San Diego, CA) -- MLB and the Padres will assist Monarch School in developing the Launch Pointe, a state-of-the-art career academy designed to engage students in hands-on exploration and learning to develop a pathway to future success. The 7,000-square-foot space on the second floor of Monarch's existing building will be a flexible learning space with a focus on specific career pathways selected from growing employment sectors in San Diego. Monarch has served San Diego County for more than 25 years, beginning as a one-room education center in 1988 and evolving into a K-12 school offering a comprehensive program to 450 homeless students annually.
· The National Veterans Transition Services/REBOOT (San Diego, CA) -- MLB and the Padres will provide the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. (aka REBOOT) with better technology and a more efficiently-designed workspace to provide improved services, including resume writing, personal and professional transition assistance and evaluating and improving online presences. REBOOT is dedicated to assisting veterans in adjusting to civilian life and securing meaningful employment. The organization was established by a group of retired high-ranking Naval and Marine Corps officers and workforce development professionals. Since their inception they have successfully assisted with the transition for more than 1,500 veterans.
For more MLB All-Star Week information, please visit AllStarGame.com, the All-Star Game presented by MasterCard Twitter account (@AllStarGame) and All-Star Game presented by MasterCard Facebook account (Facebook.com/MLBAllStarGame).