Earlier today, Jays Care Foundation announced a $1 million investment in Toronto's first fully accessible baseball field and recreation hub at Scarborough's Highview Park. Toronto Mayor John Tory was also on hand to welcome the investment. The diamond and playground will be designed to meet the unique play and accessibility needs of children living with physical and/or cognitive disabilities.
"At Jays Care, we believe that youth of all abilities deserve the chance to play baseball and develop important life skills through sport," said Robert Witchel, Executive Director, Jays Care Foundation. "An accessible field will provide youth living with physical and cognitive disabilities across Toronto the opportunity to be part of a team, build confidence, and set and achieve their own personal goals. We would like to thank the City of Toronto and all our incredible partners who are helping to make this project possible. We can't wait to see Toronto's first accessible field come to life."
To date, Jays Care has invested nearly $1.5 million in accessible fields to create opportunities for children and youth. Those investments have helped build spaces in Moncton, Ottawa, and Vancouver that are specifically designed for children living with physical and/or cognitive disabilities.
"This is a home run - there is no other way to put it. Inclusion has always been at the heart of our city's character and that's what makes Toronto the world's greatest city," said John Tory, Mayor of Toronto. "All young people in our city will now have the opportunity to play baseball on an incredible diamond. Our partnership with Jays Care is an example of what a successful partnership looks like between the public sector and private sector."
Earlier in 2017, Jays Care assumed leadership of Challenger Baseball, an adaptive baseball program designed to empower children and youth living with physical and/or cognitive disabilities. The program is run in partnership with Baseball Canada and Little League Canada, and currently operates in 76 communities across Canada serving more than 2,500 youth athletes.
About Jays Care Foundation
Used intentionally, baseball has the power to create lasting social change for children and youth. That's why we help kids get involved in the game, build safe spaces in which they can play and work with like-minded organizations to design and lead comprehensive programs that reflect the needs of marginalized children and youth across Canada. Jays Care Foundation has been recognized with the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy (2014), the Beyond Sport Sports Team of the Year Award (2013) and the MLB Commissioner's Award for Philanthropic Excellence (2012).