This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
TORONTO -- Prior to first pitch on Canada Day at Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays announced a $300,000 donation to youth baseball initiatives across the country with a little help from six Canadian alumni.
John Axford, Matt Stairs, Michael Saunders, Paul Quantrill, Russell Martin and Scott Richmond have each selected an organization to receive $50,000 from the Blue Jays and Jays Care, stretching from the West Coast to the Maritimes.
While those alumni joined the pregame festivities on the field, everyone had to look way, way up to find a few more. Kevin Pillar, Marco Estrada and Justin Smoak were atop the CN Tower doing the EdgeWalk, hanging off the very top of the tower from their harnesses and waving down.
Much of the $300,000 donated will grow the game from grassroots levels, but the funds will also work to support some of the country’s elite young athletes looking to take the next step. When someone like the four-time All-Star Martin is part of the efforts, that adds a sense of reality for young Canadian ball players.
“A lot of the guys who have played at high levels, they come back and relay the information they learned in their careers,” Martin said. “That goes into it, too. Then, there’s the Blue Jays and what they’ve been doing. That resonates through the whole country. What they did last year, that’s going to have an impact for years to come. We’re trending in the right direction. There’s just going to be more and more talent coming out of Canada.”
This spike in interest has been felt from coast to coast. Stairs sees it at all levels, working as hitting coordinator with the Okotoks Dawgs in Alberta while also remaining involved with youth baseball in New Brunswick.
“The biggest thing to me is that there are more opportunities for players to grow,” Stairs said. “Baseball now is becoming not just a summer [sport]. We run our program year-round. We might take off a month, maybe. Kids are getting in the habit of playing baseball, loving it and having success. They’re learning a lot, and they’re enjoying it. That brings a lot of interest.”
Here are the full details from Jays Care and the Toronto Blue Jays on their Canadian Youth Baseball donations:
Born and raised in Port Dover, Axford selected Port Dover Minor Baseball as the recipient of the $50,000 donation to support field improvements at Misner Park in his hometown. The organization, which has honoured Axford’s legacy with a team named the “Axemen,” remains an important part of his connection to the community.
The pride of New Brunswick, Stairs selected the Fredericton Minor Baseball Association to receive the $50,000 donation for infrastructure improvements to Royals Field and Johnston Field. Stairs remains actively involved in the Fredericton Minor Baseball Association, and this donation will help enhance the experience for athletes and ensure the continued growth of baseball in the community.
Giving back to his hometown of Victoria, BC, and the school he remains involved in, Saunders selected Lambrick Park Baseball and Softball Academy to receive the $50,000 donation from Jays Care’s First Pitch Fund for its new scholarship program. Beginning this year, the scholarship will be offered to deserving baseball and softball players who have the skills to compete but face financial barriers to participate in baseball and softball programs.
Quantrill selected Kendal Minor Baseball in Ontario to receive the Jays Care donation, with funds directed toward the refurbishment of the baseball field at Harvey Jackson Memorial Park. This organization holds special significance for Quantrill as the home association of both his father and grandfather.
Academie de Baseball du Canada and Baseball Canada have been named co-recipients of the $50,000 Jays Care donation on behalf of Martin. The donation will contribute to programming that supports the development of pre-Draft and college-eligible players across Canada and specifically Quebec. Martin is an alumnus of both programs, and the two organizations played an integral role in his placement at Chipola Junior College and his professional baseball career.
Richmond selected Baseball BC as the recipient of the donation, which will support grassroots girls’ programs and high-performance initiatives, including new uniforms for British Columbia’s provincial team. For the first time in several seasons, the provincial team will feature brand-new uniforms as they compete at baseball’s Canada Cup in the summers to come.
For more information about Jays Care Foundation, please visit jayscare.com.