As announced tonight on Sportsnet’s Blue Jays Central, Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, will make an infrastructure investment of $1.1 million to benefit Canadian children and youth through its Field Of Dreams program.

Twelve organizations across six provinces will receive funding to build, enhance, and refurbish community spaces where children and youth develop important life skills and learn from positive role models. In the last five years alone, Jays Care has committed almost $7 million to 68 Canadian community infrastructure projects.

This year’s Field Of Dreams investment is part of the Blue Jays Community Commitment to support Canadian families and communities through COVID-19. The greenfield and refurbishment projects give a wide variety of groups the opportunity to reconnect as it is deemed safe to do so. Jays Care recognizes the volunteers from each of the recipient organizations for their hard work and dedication to their communities.

“This has been a challenging year for many, particularly children and youth. We are pleased that these grants will give them something to look forward to and the ability to reconnect with their peers through the game of baseball on their local diamonds,” said Robert Witchel, Executive Director, Jays Care Foundation. “With this year’s recipients spanning from British Columbia to Newfoundland & Labrador, we are excited to continue a legacy of investing in community infrastructure across the country." 

The following communities and organizations have been selected as Jays Care’s 2020 Field Of Dreams grant recipients:

1. Gander, NL – Gander Minor Baseball
2. Sydney Mines, NS – Sydney Mines & District Little League
3. Lachine, QC – Association Baseball Amateur de Lachine
4. Ottawa, ON – Ottawa West Little League
5. Brampton, ON – Judith Nyman Secondary School
6. Kemptville, ON – Seaway Surge Baseball Club
7. Mississauga, ON – Peel Children’s Aid Foundation
8. Creighton, SK – Town of Creighton
9. Fort Qu’Appelle, SK – File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council Health Services
10. Indian Head, SK – Indian Head Minor Ball
11. Regina, SK – North Regina Little League
12. Nelson, BC – Nelson Baseball Association

The Field Of Dreams program is helped to be made possible by Rogers Communications, a long-standing partner which has provided more than $9 million in funding to Jays Care Foundation programs, including multiple Field Of Dreams projects across the country in the last 10 years.

About Jays Care Foundation

Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, uses baseball as a tool to teach life skills and create lasting social change for more than 35,000 children and youth across Canada. Jays Care proudly works in all ten provinces and two territories running community programs to level the playing field for Canadian kids facing barriers. Jays Care has also invested more than $10 million through Field Of Dreams to support the building or refurbishment of more than 100 diamonds and recreation spaces across the country. 

For more information, visit jayscare.com, follow @JaysCare on Twitter and Instagram, ‘like’ Jays Care on Facebook or call 416.341.1456.