Mayer Elementary School receives more than $88,000 from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund
Ground breaking ceremony at Mayer Elementary School Baseball Field to take place on August 30th
(Mayer, Arizona) The Baseball Tomorrow Fund awarded Mayer Elementary School (K-8) a grant in the amount of $88,140 to make renovations to their home baseball field. The grant will provide for the installation of fencing, infield materials, and all-weather artificial turf that will support the community’s water conservation program. The renovations to the field will allow youth from Yavapai County to participate in youth baseball and softball programs, and will allow for youth clinics for children ages 6-12, coaches and aspiring umpires to be held at the field.
To celebrate the start of construction, the Mayer Elementary School and Mayer Unified School District will hold a ground breaking ceremony at the Mayer Elementary School baseball field on August 30th, at 11:00 a.m. Speaker of the House for the State of Arizona Andy Tobin; Mayer Unified School District Superintendent Dean Slaga; Mayer Elementary School Principal Patti Leonard; Yavapai County District Supervisor Tom Thurman and Senior Grant Coordinator for the Baseball Tomorrow Fund Meghan Chisholm will participate in the festivities.
“The Baseball Tomorrow Fund appreciates Mayer Elementary School’s commitment to this project and youth baseball and softball players in this community,” said Cathy Bradley, Executive Director of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. “We are pleased to support the continued growth of the game in the Mayer area and the players that will benefit from this facility.”
“The Mayer Unified School District is excited to break ground at the Mayer Elementary School baseball field, after nearly seven years of fundraising and gaining community support,” added Leonard. “We are thankful for the contributions from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, Margaret T. Morris and J.W. Keickhefer Foundations. A total of $108,000 cash was raised for the project, in addition to in-kind support from Ace Golf Scapes, LLC, American Fence Company, Lowes, Pioneer Sand Company, Path to Prosperity, Inc./Purchase Green and Stabilizer Solutions.”
About the Baseball Tomorrow Fund
The Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF) is a joint initiative between the Major League Baseball Players Association and Major League Baseball 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 material and other selected program expenses. Since its formation by MLB and the MLBPA in 1999, BTF has awarded over 620 grants totaling more than $22 million to non-profit and tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Asia. Approximately 300,000 youth players have benefited from programs and facilities supported by the fund. BTF also facilitates league-wide initiatives including the collection and distribution of new and gently used equipment to organizations in need as well as field maintenance education clinics. For more information, visit baseballtomorrowfund.com and follow BTF on Facebook, Twitter and MLBlogs.
About the Mayer Unified School District and Mayer Elementary School (K-8)
Mayer Unified School District provides education to over 550 students each year, serving the most rural areas within Yavapai County. The district buses drive more than 1000 miles each day picking up children from across Yavapai County. The school and district have been operating more than 75 years and have grown significantly in recent years, from the original one building that housed the school for many years into two campuses that presently serve the counties’ students. The school provides a wide range of programs, including the twice-a-day Nursery School, free or low-cost lunch programs (91% of the students served), Reading 180 and the 21st Century After School Programs.