Blue jays invest in providing opportunities for kids to play baseball
$150,000 Jays Care grant funds lighting installation at Stan Wadlow Park
The TORONTO BLUE JAYS, through JAYS CARE FOUNDATION, have invested $150,000 in the City of Toronto for lighting installation on the main diamond at Stan Wadlow Park in East York, Ont. These lights will extend playing time by two additional hours each night and will allow 60 more children to participate in East York Baseball organized programs this season.
On Wednesday, June 13th at 5:45 p.m., Toronto Blue Jays players and staff, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, the City of Toronto and East York Baseball Association will be on hand to unveil the new lighting, Blue Jays backstop and light-pole signage at the diamond. The Baseball Tomorrow Fund also granted $42,270 towards the installation of the lighting.
Last month, the Jays Care Community Crew, made up of 44 volunteers from the Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Centre staff, and the Blue Jays’ Grounds Crew spent a day renovating the main baseball diamond at Stan Wadlow including; sanding and painting rusty bleachers, edging the diamond, tamping the clay on the pitcher’s mound and batter’s box, and building new bullpen mounds.
Stan Wadlow is one of the primary locations for the Blue Jays Baseball Academy Rookie League program. Rookie League is a summer baseball camp operating in 40 Toronto Community Housing neighbourhoods that gives more than 900 children the opportunity to engage in physical activity, and develop baseball and teamwork skills each summer.