April 22, 2022

Official Jays Care Foundation News Release

JAYS CARE INVESTS MORE THAN $1.2 MILLION IN COMMUNITY BASEBALL DIAMONDS ACROSS CANADA

Sixteen organizations across seven provinces and one territory to receive funding to build, enhance, or refurbish baseball diamonds

Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, will make infrastructure investments of more than $1.2 million in 2022 to benefit Canadian children and youth through its Field Of Dreams program.

Sixteen organizations across seven provinces and one territory will receive funding to build, enhance, or refurbish baseball diamonds where children and youth will develop important life skills and learn from positive role models. Jays Care has invested more than $15 million in 145 safe spaces across 10 provinces and two territories in the last 10 years.

The following communities and organizations have been selected as Jays Care’s 2022 Field Of Dreams grant recipients:

-Calgary, Alberta – Centennial Little League

-Whitecourt, Alberta – Whitecourt Minor Baseball

-Invermere, British Columbia – Columbia Valley Little League

-Kamloops, British Columbia – Kamloops Minor Ball

-Smithers, British Columbia – Witset First Nation

-La Salle, Manitoba – Caisse Community Centre

-Lundar, Manitoba – Lundar Minor Ball

-Amherst, Nova Scotia – Amherst Little League

-Dominion, Nova Scotia – Hawks Dream Field Project

-Arctic Bay, Nunavut – Hamlet of Arctic Bay

-Whale Cove, Nunavut – Hamlet of Whale Cove

-Christian Island, Ontario – Beausoleil First Nation

-Etobicoke, Ontario – Martingrove Baseball

-Trois-Rivieres, Quebec – Baseball Quebec

-Laird, Saskatchewan – Laird Minor Softball

-Prince Albert, Saskatchewan – Prince Albert Minor Ball

“Jays Care is thrilled to invest in building and refurbishing community baseball diamonds for sixteen communities across the country. We believe that now, more than ever, it is vital for kids to have spaces where they can safely play, connect, and learn,” said Robert Witchel, Executive Director, Jays Care Foundation. “With projects spanning from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean, this year truly exemplifies the vast geographic scope of our Blue Jays Community. We are excited to continue a legacy of investing in infrastructure to support children and youth in Canada and look forward to celebrating with communities in the months ahead."

Jays Care Foundation is grateful for the support of its largest funding partner, Rogers Communications, whose annual donation supports the growth of youth programs like Challenger Baseball, Rookie League, and Girls At Bat – with many kids in supported programs playing on Fields Of Dreams diamonds.