The Minnesota Twins Community Fund, in partnership with Pitch In For Baseball, hosted a baseball and softball equipment donation event at Target Field on March 1. With a $25,000 contribution from the Twins Community Fund, Pitch in for Baseball was able to secure new equipment to outfit 17 Twin Cities high school baseball and softball teams.
Pitch In For Baseball CEO David Rhode and Board President, and former Twins All-Star, Roy Smalley presented each team with their equipment kits. "This donation is particularly gratifying to me because I played most of my career here and still call this community my home," said Smalley. "The kids that were not playing ball, once they got equipment and started playing, almost universally 67 to 70 percent of those kids have better attendance and 67 to 70 percent have better grades."
"We are always happy to partner with such a great organization like Pitch In For Baseball," said Minnesota Twins Community Fund Executive Director, Bryan Donaldson. "Especially in this case when many of our local high school baseball and softball programs benefit."
Teams receiving new equipment for the 2017 season include:
Pitch In For Baseball (PIFB) is a non-profit based out of Harleysville, PA. Their mission is to break down barriers that prevent boys and girls from playing ball by providing equipment directly to leagues, schools and organizations around the world. Over the past decade, they have been able to make an impact on more than a half a million children around the world.
The Twins Community Fund continues to support and enrich local and regional communities by providing resources for the healthy development of children and families through an association with baseball, softball and the Minnesota Twins.