Pirates Charities today announced the “Fields for Kids” program is back for the 2020 season and applications are now being accepted at Pirates.com/PiratesCharities. The program provides matching grants of up to $25,000 to area youth organizations to improve youth baseball and/or softball facilities in the region.

Interested organizations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland are encouraged to visit Pirates.com/PiratesCharities to complete a grant application or learn more about the program.

“The Fields for Kids program is a cornerstone initiative for the Pirates and we are proud of the assistance it provides many area organizations each year,” said Travis Williams, Pirates President. “The matching grant program impacts thousands of youth baseball and softball players throughout the region by ensuring young people have safe and well-maintained fields to play the game they love.”

Grant funds are used for the upgrading of essential field components such as sod, infield playing surfaces, fencing, dugouts and irrigation systems. Many organizations utilize the funds to make much needed upgrades to the overall facility, including lights, bleachers, scoreboards and concession stands.

In 2019, Pirates Charities distributed 38 grants over two grant cycles, impacting more than 10,600 youth in 19 counties throughout the area. Pirates partner PNC contributed funding to support the 2019 program.

Since the Fields for Kids program’s inception in 2009, 364 individual grants have been distributed in the greater Pittsburgh region, in addition to 45 grants in the Pirates Spring Training Home of Bradenton, Florida since the program began there in 2011.