Community Love: 2013 Thus Far

Thousands of Hours, Over $200,000 Given Back to NEPA

Moosic, Pa. – It’s more than numbers. It’s more than hours or dollars. It’s human. It’s real. It’s one of life’s most paradoxical, yet overwhelming true truths. An intangible concept, an experience really, that resounds with a firmness greater than Montage Mountain herself. It is better to give than to receive. Year one of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) and the new PNC Field afforded the new-look franchise and the good folks of NEPA to get to know each other once more through more than just baseball. And the giving? Well, it sure felt good.

Below is a quick checklist of the highlight totals in 2013:

Front office staff hours volunteered: 890.5

Player hours volunteered: 202.5

Mascot appearances: 130

Donations: $24,044 (tickets/merchandise/autographed memorabilia)

Hurl the Pearl donation (Boys & Girls Club): $12,092

Allied Health Services donation: $16,000

Total donation including monetary value of volunteered hours from team/staff, all monetary donations and in-kind donations: $217,737

“The sum totals sound good, but what sticks with me are the individual moments,” said RailRiders president/GM Rob Crain. “I got more goosebumps from seeing the impact of the efforts spearheaded by our staff and community relations manager Rachel Mark than I’ve had at any other point in my life. It was a very good year.”

The Community Organization of the Night program made its debut this season. Each of the team’s 72 home games spotlighted a local non-profit/civic organization. That CON had the opportunity to spread its message to every guest through a pre-game on-field interview, a ceremonial first pitch, an on-air radio interview and a concourse table display.

The RailRiders’ Military Appreciation Program was implemented this season to show the team’s support of our nation’s active and retired military. The serviceperson and his/her family were honored. Activities included complimentary game tickets, a pre-game on-field interview and a ceremonial first pitch.

SWB’s patriotic pride continued with another new tip of the cap, Setting A Seat Aside. To honor men and women affiliated with our nation’s military whom could not be at PNC Field, one significant seat (section 13, row 15, seat one) will forever remain empty and unsold.

A standard from previous years got a big boost as the Adopt-A-Field Program upped the number of local fields renovated to four. Front office staff and grounds crew members combined to give the area little league/softball fields a big league facelift. Staffers spent the entire day at each park cutting the infield, rebuilding pitching mounds, fertilizing/mowing grass, cleaning dugouts and more. The fields were chosen through a contest on the team’s Facebook page with representatives of local leagues posting pictures of their field and describing its renovation needs. The four photos that received the most “likes” on Facebook were the lucky winners (Avoca/Dupont Little League; South Scranton Little League; Staback Park; Marvine Dutch Gap).

As the top affiliate of the New York Yankees, the RailRiders proudly played their part in the organization’s annual HOPE (Helping Others Persevere and Excel) Week effort. The week-long community outreach program’s purpose is to touch as many lives as possible in your area. Members of the RailRiders’ coaching staff, players and front office folks made their way throughout NEPA.

The week included a Children’s Miracle Network Day at the Ballpark on July 7. Twin boys who have overcome the worst of health adversities spent time on the field with players during batting practice, stopped by the pre-game clubhouse, threw out ceremonial first pitches and spent the game in the owner’s suite with friends and family. One day later, the RailRiders hosted a baseball game for the Lackawanna County Challenger Little League. LCCLL gives children with special needs the chance to participate in athletics. RailRiders coaches and players spent the entire game on the field, coaching and encouraging the boys and girls while helping them to bat, run and slide. A ballpark lunch followed. July 9 meant two surprise hospital visits to Moses Taylor and Geisinger in downtown Scranton. Patients interacted with the players while receiving giveaways, autographs and an overall fun time. The week concluded with players and front office staffers visiting the Boys & Girls Club of NEPA. The morning was spent playing baseball, billiards and computer games. The epic conclusion sported a dodgeball match between the RailRiders and the Boys & Girls club.

On Aug. 21, a tag-team food drive by the RailRiders and the Voluntary Action Center of NEPA sought out to stock as many food pantries in NEPA as possible. Fans received free game tickets in exchange for non-perishable food items. In addition to the food from fans, the RailRiders also presented the Voluntary Action Center with a check for $1,300 to assist with the fight against hunger in NEPA.

The RailRiders’ 2014 season begins on Thursday, April 3 when the club kicks off a seven-game road trip at Syracuse against the Chiefs (Washington Nationals). The home slate commences a week later on Thursday, April 10 when the Chiefs visit PNC Field for a four-game series and homestand. For season ticket information, call (570) 969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

– SWB RailRiders – All Aboard! –

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Click here to view the original story.

Adopt-a-Field Program Returns

Four Area Little League Fields to Receive Much-Needed Help

Moosic, Pa. – When the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre baseball franchise spent 2012 on the road, it still had its home at heart. The team christened a program that focused on rejuvenating area Little League fields. Even though the now-RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) have a home of their own in the beautifully reconstructed PNC Field, the Adopt-a-Field Program is back and better than ever.

What began with two teams getting the annual makeover, one each from Lackawanna County and Luzerne County, has blossomed into a four-team program in 2013. A Facebook contest chose the four lucky recipients. It gets underway Wednesday, May 1 when Scranton’s Marvine Dutch Gap Little League gets some love for its field. On June 3, the attention shifts to the Avoca/Dupont Little League. Come June 14, the RailRiders will adopt the South Scranton Little League field before closing things out on June 27 at Staback Park in Archbald.

“Let’s spread the wealth a bit and bring the beauty of the new PNC Field to the Little League fields right here in our communities,” said RailRiders team president/GM Rob Crain. “I love this program. We as a franchise are committed to doing what we can for our neighbors and this is one of the most fun and directly impactful efforts we can provide.”

The program provides an individualized evaluation and athletic field maintenance clinic to the chosen leagues. More than the initial facelift the RailRiders’ raw manpower provides, the teams will be taught how to keep up that same professional-level look for years to come. Last season, Moosic Little League and Kingston/Forty Fort Little League were the benefactors of the program’s launch.

“This is a great opportunity to provide those maintaining local Little League fields with the knowledge needed to maintain a safe and beautiful playing surface,” said the team’s director of field operations, Steve Horne. “Many leagues don’t have the tools, manpower or guidance needed to keep their fields in good shape. Hopefully, after our crew comes in to help get them started, we can develop a plan that will benefit the leagues and their players for years to come.”

The makeover will get underway at 8 a.m. on each date listed above and will run until around 5 p.m. Media members and fans are invited to document and watch the progress throughout the day. Below are the addresses of the four sites:

Marvine Dutch Gap, 170 Wells, Scranton 18508

Avoca/Dupont, Mill & Commerce Streets, Avoca 18641

South Scranton, 430 Meadow Ave., Scranton 18505

Staback Park, Eynon Jermyn Rd., Archbald 18403

The RailRiders are in the midst of a nine-day, eight-game road trip before returning home for an eight-game homestand on Monday, May 6. It starts with the first of four against the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) at 6:35 p.m. Fans will be able to dine on just a few dimes with dollar hot dogs all night long at PNC Field. Great ticket packages, group deals and single-game tickets are available. With no upper deck at PNC Field anymore, every seat in the ballpark provides the supreme views and intimacy that make minor league baseball so special at incredibly affordable prices. For more information, please visit the team’s official website, www.swbrailriders.com, or call 570-969-BALL (2255).

– SWB RailRiders – All Aboard! –

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Click here to view the original story.

Tides to renovate Shore Little League Wednesday

The Norfolk Tides organization will be renovating the Shore Little League field in Northampton County on Wednesday, April 24. Shore Little League was a participant in the 2012 Field Renovation Contest, with the Eastern Shore community garnering over 2,700 votes for the field.
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Phoebus Little League makeover photos

Members of the Tides front office staff, including head groundskeeper Kenny Magner, will take part in the field makeover, which will include an upgrade to the playing surface and an improvement to existing dugouts. The staff will spend 9 am – 4 pm Wednesday working on the field.

“We were extremely impressed by the number of votes Shore Little League field received in our inaugural Field Renovation Contest last year” said Tides General Manager Joe Gregory. “The outpouring of support the small community received was overwhelming, and we are very happy to do our part in helping city of Nassawadox have a field their children can be proud to call their own.”

Shore Little League, which is the only chartered league in the county of Northampton, is the fifth youth field the Tides have renovated since the beginning of 2012. The Tides helped to renovate three fields in 2012 – Ocean View Little League (Norfolk), Smithfield Recreation Association (Smithfield) and Bennett’s Creek Little League (Suffolk) – before renovating the Phoebus Little League field in Hampton last week.

The project is possible because of the Youth Baseball Fund, a program established by the Tides in 1990 as a way to raise money for youth baseball and softball programs in Hampton Roads. In addition to assisting with field renovations, the Youth Baseball Fund also helps local teams and leagues with travel expenses.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Norfolk Tides. Click here to view the original story.

‘4 in 24’ youth field renovations set for April 12

BlueShield of Northeastern New York partners with ‘Cats on Community Grounds Crew

Tri-CityValleyCats_2013-01-24

 

TROY, NY- As the Tri-City ValleyCats prepare to usher in a new season of affordable family fun and professional baseball to the Capital Region, they will be teaming up once again with BlueShield of Northeastern New York on the Community Grounds Crew and the 3rd Annual ‘4 in 24’ Youth Field Renovation Program. In a 24 hour time period, four chosen youth fields will have new sod placed on their infield while also seeing their pitcher’s mound and homeplate areas rebuilt. The simultaneous renovations are scheduled to take place on Friday, April 12.

The ‘4 in 24′ is the kick-off event for the Community Grounds Crew, an expanded initiative with the assistance from BlueShield of Northeastern New York. This program will undertake additional projects and renovations on numerous other youth fields throughout the spring and summer.

“The ValleyCats are proud to be partnering once again with BlueShield of Northeastern New York to continue the work of our Community Grounds Crew,” said ValleyCats Vice President/General Manager Rick Murphy. “With their tremendous support, we are able to provide the youth in our community safe and well-maintained fields on which to play, and as ambassadors for the game of baseball, that is immensely important to us.”

Following the formation of the Community Grounds Crew last spring, over a dozen youth ball fields have been fully renovated with countless other field projects completed throughout the Capital Region.

“BlueShield is excited to support the important field renovations throughout our community again this year,” Brian O’Grady, vice president, BlueShield of Northeastern New York, said. “We have seen the impact of tremendously improving the quality of these spaces for children to enjoy one of our country’s favorite past times. Our company takes pride in encouraging children to get outside and play with their friends because as we all know- Healthy Changes Everything.”

The ValleyCats’ field renovations have been an annual tradition since 2003 when the first field was officially renovated by the ‘Cats in South Troy, just one mile away from Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. Each year since, they have expanded upon its success. In 2011 the ‘Cats created the ambitious ‘4 in 24’ project to renovate four youth playing fields in the course of just a 24 hour time period, something totally unique to any field renovation initiative in the country.

Each project is also supported by the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation. Contributions come from past events such as the Capital Region Craft Brewers Festival, hosted by the ValleyCats and Brown’s Brewing Company, and the Corporate Cup Tournaments which have included teams from local and regional businesses.

Leagues interested in having their field considered for the ‘4 in 24’ or other Community Grounds Crew renovations must complete an application that can be found on the ValleyCats website, www.tcvalleycats.com. In order to be eligible for the ‘4 in 24’ renovation, applications must be returned by Friday, February 22. Those submitted beyond that date or not selected for the ‘4 in 24’ will remain in consideration for the Community Grounds Crew program, which will accept and evaluate applications on an on-going basis.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Tri-City ValleyCats. Click here to view the original story.

‘Cats recognized for community efforts

Receive Van Rensselaer Small Business Award

TROY, NY- The Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce held their annual Van Rensselaer Awards dinner to honor local businesses who have shown outstanding support to their community.The Tri-City ValleyCats were honored with the Van Rensselaer Small Business Award in recognition of their commitment to the Capital Region community. ValleyCats Vice President/General Manager Rick Murphy graciously accepted the award on behalf of the ValleyCats organization.

Other winners include CAP COM Federal Credit Union, who received the Van Rensselaer Corporate Award, and Neil Golub received the 2012 Edward H. Pattison Citizenship Award.

This past season the ValleyCats donated to over 350 charitable organizations, volunteered their time with reading appearances at local libraries, led the Community Grounds Crew youth field renovation program and more.
This article originally appeared on the official website of the 09/20/2012 10:02 PM ET. Click here to view the original story.

‘Cats Recognized for Community Contributions

Recipients of 2012 Van Rensselaer Small Business Award

TROY, NY- The Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2012 winners of their prestigious Van Rensselaer Awards, and the Tri-City ValleyCats are the recipients of the Small Business Award, in recognition of outstanding contributions to area communities. Whether through their partnerships with charitable organizations or the volunteer efforts of their front office staff, the ValleyCats organization recognizes and embraces their responsibility to make a difference in the Capital Region.

To go along with community outreach at the ballpark, SouthPaw, players and the front office staff also make over 100 appearances throughout the Capital Region each year.

Appearances include reading at elementary schools and after-school programs, baseball clinics at local youth leagues, charity benefits, numerous walks and 5k’s and more.

In order to be ambassadors for the game of baseball in their community, the Tri-City ValleyCats established the Field Renovation Program in 2003, with the mission of providing safe and well-maintained fields for youth sports organizations throughout the Capital Region.

In 2011, the ValleyCats undertook an ambitious project to renovate four youth playing fields in the course of a twenty-four hour time period.

This season, the ValleyCats are kicking off a season long campaign known as the Community Grounds Crew Program. With the help of BlueShield of Northeastern New York, the Community Grounds Crew will assist numerous youth leagues in the Capital Region with field maintenance projects from June through September.

The Tri-City ValleyCats are a single A affiliate of the Houston Astros, and play in the historic 14-team New York-Penn League. They begin their 2012 home schedule on Wednesday, June 20 at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. For more information, visit their website at www.tcvalleycats.com or call (518) 629-CATS.
This article originally appeared on the official website of the Tri-City ValleyCats. Click here to view the original story.

‘Topes Staff Begins Belen Little League Renovations

On Tuesday, March 20, the Isotopes award-winning field staff began upgrades to Belen Little League as part of “Minor League Makeover.” The staff was met by several sponsors volunteering both time and donations to the project.

The first Albuquerque Isotopes “Minor League Makeover” turned out to be a smashing success, with Belen Little League earning a field makeover by virtue of amassing the most “Likes” in the ‘Topes’ Facebook contest.

Belen got the word out early and racked up a total of 4,718 likes and 813 shares, barely holding off West Gate Little League, which accumulated 4,682 likes. The 13 fields participating in the contest ended up generating a total of 13,865 total likes and 1,515 total shares, testament to the passion the area has for Little League baseball.

The Isotopes field staff will continue refurbishment to Belen’s Little League field throughout the day on March 20th. The Home Depot has also decided to chip in on the effort, providing fences and dugout materials. The makeover is scheduled to include field surface refurbishment, outfield fence repair, and dugout renovation.

 

 

 

ValleyCats Announce Community Grounds Crew, 2nd ‘4 in 24’ Extreme Field Renovation

Cats partner with BlueShield of Northeastern New York to expand their youth field renovation initiative

SouthPaw and volunteers renovate Westland Hills in Albany during 2011 '4 in 24' program.
SouthPaw and volunteers renovate Westland Hills in Albany during 2011 ‘4 in 24’ program.

TROY, NY- As the Tri-City ValleyCats, Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, prepare to enter their 11th-season in the Capital Region, they’ve announced that they will be teaming up with BlueShield of Northeastern New York to create the Community Grounds Crew. This crew will lead the 2nd ever ‘4 in 24’ Program and also assist in renovating numerous other youth fields from April through September.The ‘4 in 24’ renovations will take place in early April, with work scheduled around the clock. In order to bring the selected fields to game ready conditions, each one will have new sod placed in their infield while also seeing their pitcher’s mound and homeplate areas re-built.

“The entire ValleyCats staff is thrilled to continue the ‘4 in 24’ program in 2012, while expanding our outreach by introducing the Community Grounds Crew. This program will allow us the opportunity to continue our efforts in providing safe fields of play for the youth of the Capital Region,” said ValleyCats Vice President/General Manager Rick Murphy.

The ‘Cats are no strangers to undertaking field renovation projects. It has been an annual tradition since the program began with the restoration of a little league field in South Troy in 2003. Each year since, the ValleyCats organization has reinforced their mission to provide safe and well-maintained fields for youth sports organizations throughout the Capital Region. This task was expanded with the first-ever ‘4 in 24’ program in April of 2011. That project saw fields in Albany, Ballston Spa, Schenectady, and Scotia restored with crews working around the clock.

With the help of BlueShield of Northeastern New York, the ValleyCats will once again expand this mission further in 2012 by creating the Community Grounds Crew. As the presenting partner in this initiative, BlueShield will be a critical contributor to help give back to the youth of the Capital Region.

“We are thrilled to partner with the ValleyCats to restore four local baseball diamonds, so the children of our community can enjoy one of our country’s national past times,” Brian O’Grady, vice president, BlueShield of Northeastern New York, said. “Our company takes pride in the thought of kids playing catch or running the bases with friends, because they will be taking time out of their day to engage in healthy activities – and as we all know – Healthy Changes Everything.”

These projects will also be supported by the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation. Contributions to the foundation have come from past events such as the Capital Region Craft Brewers Festival, hosted by the ValleyCats and Brown’s Brewing Company, and the Corporate Cup Tournaments which have included teams from local and regional businesses.

Leagues interested in having their field considered for this project must complete an application that can be found on the Community Grounds Crew page of the ValleyCats website. The deadline for ‘4 in 24’ submissions is March 9th with the chosen fields announced on Friday, March 16th.

The leagues who are not selected for the ‘4 in 24’ project will remain in consideration for the Community Grounds Crew program, which will accept and evaluate applications on an on-going basis through September of 2012.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Tri-City ValleyCats. Click here to view the original story.

IronPigs Charities Annual Report Released

LehighValleyIronPigs_2011-11-18

The 201l IronPigs Charities annual report details all of the club’s initiatives from this past year. IronPigs Charities donated $106,000 to local non-profits over the last year, the highest yearly contribution to date.

Established in October, 2007, before the IronPigs ever played a game, IronPigs Charities was created to provide educational and recreational opportunities for Lehigh Valley Youth.

IronPigs Charities is presented by The Air Products Foundation. Thank you to The Air Products Foundation for their continuous support of IronPigs Charities and the Lehigh Valley community.

IronPigs Charities is governed by a 13 member Board of Directors. The Board meets four times annually (March, June, September, December). The 2011 IronPigs Charities report can be viewed by clicking here.

For more information on IronPigs Charities, please call Sarah Marten at (610) 841-1213.
This article originally appeared on the official website of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Click here to view the original story.

Stockton Ports contribute to local Little League renovation

The Stockton Ports teamed up with the California District 8 Little League to help enrich the lives of Stockton youth through the gift of baseball. The Ports and District 8 Little League announced that Eastern Little League had been selected as the recipient of a grant that helped with field renovation.

“The 12 Little Leagues within California District 8 are extremely fortunate to have the ongoing support of the Stockton Ports,” said Dee Dee Martinez, a CA District 8 Little League Administrator. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Stockton Ports as we work together to provide a program of service to the youth of our community through our baseball and softball programs.”

The grant, worth $1,146, went to the renovation of the East Side Community Park in Stockton where the Eastern Little League plays. The Ports have worked with California District 8 Little Leagues in the past, with the League being active participants in the Ports Little League days. The grant, which was from the Player Fine Money distributed by the California League, marks the first time the Ports have partnered with the League to renovate a field. In addition to the Ports grant, We Paint donated all painting supplies and a free power washing to the renovation efforts.

“We are proud of the relationship we have established with our area little leagues and are looking forward to being able to give back to the league by improving their field for the upcoming season.” said Tim Pasisz, the Ports Director of Business Development and coordinator of the team’s youth baseball programs.

The Ports front office staff donated their time to help with the renovation on March 5. The Ports spent the morning tearing down the worn and broken fence surrounding the little league field.

“Believe it or not, tearing down this fence was a lot of work,” said Community Relations Manager Margaret Sacchet. “We are just happy that we have the opportunity to help out with projects like this. This is where it all starts for these kids. We want them to have a nice, safe field to play on. We may see them play at Banner Island Ballpark one day!”

Kernels Continue to Help Flood Victims with Phase II

The Kernels Foundation presented a check to Amy Geiger and Board Members of the Cedar Rapids School Foundation on Thursday, September 9, 2010 prior to the Kernels playoff game against the Clinton Lumber Kings. The money was raised in part from a season-long 50/50 raffle at home Kernels games. The amount of $17,162 will be divided between six local schools affected by the 2008 flood, which include Jefferson, Harrison, Cleveland, Roosevelt, Metro, and Wilson. The monies will help provide equal opportunities to outdoor physical fitness activities and fitness programs to school children. The Foundation is committed to providing programs and introducing better life skills and leveling the playing field for the children in these neighborhoods as compared to the rest of the city. This year’s project was phase II in the Foundation’s efforts to continue to help the flood victims in Cedar Rapids.

The Kernels Foundation phase I project included building two new baseball fields and renovating a third that was damaged by flood waters. The Kernels Foundation, Minor League Baseball Charities, Baseball Tomorrow Fund, the City of Cedar Rapids, and others raised $170,000 in 2009 for the project. Because of the new playing fields, we were able to offer a free program to at-risk kids this summer. Seventy-five children were able to play baseball two nights a week at the Jones Park Complex for free, including the use of equipment and uniforms.

The Kernels Foundation presented a check to Amy Geiger and Board Members of the Cedar Rapids School Foundation on Thursday, September 9.

League of Dreams Takes Flight

The Cedar Rapids “League of Dreams” celebrated opening night June 15, 2010 at Jones Park. All participants were 2nd and 3rd graders from five local schools severely affected by the flood of 2008. The league consisted of six teams that played a total of twelve games that culminated on July 21st.

The “Cedar Rapids League of Dreams” is an outgrowth of the Jones Park Baseball Project which was announced last fall in response to the flood that devastated Cedar Rapids in 2008. The Jones Park Project was formed to upgrade the number and quality of baseball fields in Cedar Rapids. Now, the “League of Dreams” gives 75 kids a chance to play on one of those fields. The league was designed to help schools, children, and families hit the hardest by the flood to participate in a fun, relaxed, and informative baseball program.

The 75 youngsters and 6 coaches who comprised the new League of Dreams visited Perfect Game Field Thursday, July 1 for a Cedar Rapids Kernels pre-game ceremony. Jim Ecker from Perfect Game, Tom Barbee, President of the Kernels Foundation, and Mike O’Neil with the Parks and Recreation Department, presided over the ceremony.
The teams played a game on Perfect Game Field and enjoyed a picnic at Veterans Memorial Stadium on July 27th to wrap-up the season.

The youth baseball league, sponsored by the Cedar Rapids Kernels, Perfect Game USA, Rawlings Sporting Goods, Minor League Baseball Charities, the Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department, with a big assist from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, offered 75 girls and boys the chance to play baseball this summer at no cost. The newly formed League of Dreams will become an annual event each summer.

Perfect Game USA employee Jim Ecker gives instructions to League of Dream players prior to a game at Perfect Game Field

Bisons’ Adoption of Buffalo High School Baseball Program Enters Fourth Season

Led by team owners Bob and Mindy Rich, the Buffalo Bisons have extended their adoption of the City of Buffalo High School Baseball Program for a fourth season in 2010. The adoption will include 14 high schools –with the recent additions of Buffalo Early Middle College and Vocational and Performing Arts High School- and the continuation of the “Junior Bisons” summer team.

The Rich Foundation and the Buffalo Bisons officially adopted the City of Buffalo High School Baseball Program in April of 2007 as a commitment to assist in the revival and development of the city’s high school program. In the four years since, the Bisons have facilitated and assisted in the funding of the renovation of Johnnie B. Wiley Stadium, provided stipends for each school to hire assistant coaches and purchased extensive baseball equipment for schools that lacked even basic supplies.

The Bisons have also invited teams to use the faculties located at Coca-Cola Field, including the team’s indoor batting cages. Each year, the Bisons coaches and players have held one-day clinics for both the coaches and players of Buffalo high school teams.

One of the highlights of this adoption is the Junior Bisons. Each year, around 18 players are selected from the 14 Buffalo public high schools for a team that competes in the scholastic division of the CEBA -the County of Erie Baseball Association. The team has made the post season in each of the past two seasons. Two former Junior Bisons are currently playing baseball at the collegiate level.

With the growing interest this adoption has created, the Bisons have also found it necessary to be active in Buffalo middle schools as well. In 2008, the Bisons assisted in the forming of the Buffalo Middle School Developmental Fall Baseball Program where three to four teams (60 total students) are formed from area seventh and eighth grade students. The season is run at no-cost to the players and is the first of its kind in the city of Buffalo. This league focuses on skill development, sportsmanship and team building.

Bisons adopt Buffalo Public School baseball program on April 23,2007. Pictured are Mindy Rich (far left), Bob Rich (second in from right) and Dave Thomas (far right), Athletic Director, City of Buffalo Public High Schools (now retired). (Photo by James P. McCoy Buffalo News staff photographer)