Marysville, OH – For the seventh consecutive year, the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program will award modern, playable youth baseball and softball field refurbishments to four communities in need within the United States. Today, the Scotts Company LLC (Scotts) and Major League Baseball announced The Optimist Club of Miami Lakes (Miami Lakes, Florida), The Midway Youth Support Organization (Cleveland, Missouri), The Lighthouse Inc. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and The Vinson Little League (Huntington, West Virginia) as the four winning organizations of $50,000 grants for repairs and upgrades to their fields by the end of the year.

MLB and Scotts received nearly 400 grant applications across 47 states for the 2022 installment of the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program. The winning organizations were chosen by a special blue-ribbon panel, which included leadership from Scotts and MLB, as well as former MLB players. Through 2022, the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program has renovated 31 fields across 18 states, investing more than $2 million into the renovation of community fields.

“It is our hope that these new fields bring local communities together, giving the young kids and teenagers in the surrounding area a new place where they can gather to get outside and practice the sports they love,” said Ashley Bachmann, Vice President, Lawns Marketing, Scotts Miracle-Gro. “At Scotts, we know that nothing beats playing the game you love on a freshly cut field with your friends. These young people need fields that are both safe and playable so they can continue to grow as an athlete and teammate.”

“Our team is proud to partner with Scotts for yet another year of the Field Refurbishment Program,” said April Brown, MLB Vice President, Social Responsibility & Community Affairs. “After executing the program for more than six years, we have seen how sport can have such a positive impact on the lives of youth around the nation, both on and off the ballfield. It is our mission, through this program, to give young athletes beautiful and sustainable fields that will serve as a place to gather in their community and develop and nurture their baseball and softball skills.”

More information about the winning organizations can be found below:

The Optimist Club of Miami Lakes – Miami Lakes, Florida

The Optimist Club of Miami Lakes provides baseball, softball, and tee-ball programming for children ages 4-15, with a goal of fostering a level of inspiration, passion, and love for the game. In addition to their sports programming, the town provides educational support and leadership opportunities to the youth in the community through initiatives like their Youth Internship Program. The improvements made to The Optimist Park Field will increase the number of youth participants, improve the safety and quality of play for youth participants and further contribute to the organization’s main objective: keeping Miami Lakes’ youth active and engaged in their community through great sportsmanship and camaraderie.

The Midway Youth Support Organization – Cleveland, Missouri

Comprised of local residents, The Midway Youth Support Organization works on the funding and construction of fields of play throughout Midway that allow the youth to participate in baseball and softball that meet Missouri state standards for high school, youth and recreational levels. The new field will have a drastic impact on the region, especially high school athletes, as the school district is 1 of 4 in the state that does not currently offer baseball and softball to its student athletes. The new field will also foster a greater sense of community pride and support for the future of Midway’s youth. The Midway Youth Support Organization anticipates an increase in softball and baseball participation with an estimated 200 high schoolers and 550 youth expected to use the field.

The Lighthouse Inc. – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

For the past century, the Lighthouse has served the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia as a recreation center, settlement house, benevolent organization, library, nursery, and restaurant. Despite their location in a thriving city, there is only a small number of people who know there is a protected, 15-acre field space, right in the middle of the city. Serving the youth in the Kensington and West Kensington neighborhoods of Philadelphia, the Lighthouse aims to provide high-quality, low-cost programming and organized sports and recreational activities. The renovated field will expand community access to baseball and softball and give youth, and adults, a safe place to play the games they love.

The Vinson Little League – Huntington, West Virginia

Since its founding in 1959, The goal of the Vinson Little League has been to help every child learn and play sports while creating a home and safe haven within their community’s field. Many of the youth enrolled in the league are from Huntington, West Virginia, where opioid addiction has had a significant impact on the community, creating circumstances that no child should have to endure. Through the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program, the newly renovated field and partner support will allow the Vinson Little League to develop a positive outlet for more children to participate in organized programs and ensure the youth of Huntington have a clean, beautiful, safe space to play ball. Despite seeing a small drop in participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vinson Little League remains determined to use the field refurbishment from Scotts and MLB to help build a vibrant future for generations of Huntington youth.

MLB and Scotts, a long-time league sponsor, began the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program prior to the 2016 season to provide kids with modern, playable ball fields in communities around the U.S. The Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program is part of Scotts’ Gro More Good initiative to improve children’s health and well-being through increased connection to greenspaces. Scotts is also an official partner of the ‘PLAY BALL’ initiative, the sport’s largest collective effort to encourage young people and communities to participate in baseball or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, events and recreational forms of play.