2019 Bluefield Blue Jays Baseball Camp

Registration is now open for our 2019 Bluefield Blue Jays Baseball Camp.

Youth (ages 6-13 years old) are invited to our annual Blue Jays Camp here at Bowen Field on the 13th of July. Campers will be working with the players from the Blue Jays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Lunch will also be provided to all campers.

Please see the link below to access the registration forum and contact us at (304) 324-1326 for any questions or concerns.

http://www.milb.com/documents/3/3/6/308016336/2019_Blue_Jays_Baseball_Camp.pdf

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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Micah Hyde Charity Softball Game to be played at Sahlen Field, June 2 (1pm)

The inaugural Micah Hyde Charity Softball Game benefitting his IMagINe for Youth Foundation will be held at Sahlen Field, home of the Buffalo Bisons on Sunday, June 2 (10 a.m.). A 2017 Pro Bowl player, Micah Hyde will be joined by his Buffalo Bills teammates and other Buffalo legends and celebrities as they battle it out on the diamond for charity.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 8, 2019 at 10 a.m. at Bisons.com

Micah Hyde shares, “Growing up, I was fortunate to be heavily involved in sports. Though I was given the opportunity to do so, I witnessed the obstacles my family had to face in order to provide opportunities, not only for myself, but my siblings as well. With all of these activities came costs that were not easy for my mother to attain. I can remember being responsible for insurance and participation fees, travel costs along with purchasing the equipment needed. If it were not for my mom doing all that she could do, along with a support system that we were able to fall back on, I would not be where I am today. I know there are many kids that face similar circumstances, but unfortunately, they do not have a support system to depend on. That’s why the IMagINe for Youth Foundation is here to give children the support they need in order to participate.

Looking back, being involved in athletics was more than Xs and Os. I learned to take the good with the bad, the bad with the good, and playing with countless personalities taught me how to coexist and be a team player. These are fundamentals that stuck with me. I believe sports is a gateway to learning how to be successful in the real world. I strongly believe that every child deserves the same opportunity to learn and experience those successes.

I have always wanted to give back. Now is the time to do so. Please join me in making a difference. I’M IN. Are you?”

Tickets for the softball game are just $10 or $23 – Micah Hyde’s jersey number. A very limited number of tickets are available for $75 for the best seats in the house that include a Micah Hyde autographed Buffalo Bills mini-helmet. Tickets can be purchased at Bisons.com starting on Friday, March 9 at 10 a.m. or at that time at the Sahlen Field Box Office.

If you are interested in group ticket, suites or sponsorship donation opportunities, please contact Lammi Sports Management at (414) 727-3600.

More information on the IMagINe for Youth Foundation.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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Bisons to donate tickets for every pack purchased during the ‘Season of Giving’

In the spirit of the season and how amazing it feels to share the gift of baseball with others, the Bisons today announced an all new ‘Season of Giving’ program. For every ticket package sold during the month of December, the team will donate four (4) undated flex tickets for any April game in 2019 to a local 501c3 non-profit organization of the ticket-buyers’ choice.

>>>CLICK HERE to view all Bisons 2019 Ticket Pack Options<<<</a>

The ‘Season of Giving’ will run through the entire month of December and include both renewals and new ticket package purchases made at Bisons.com, by calling (716) 843-4373 or by stopping by the Sahlen Field Box Office (Mon. -Thu. 9am-3pm, Fri. 9am-1pm).

Those that purchase a ticket package can provide the name of any registered 501c3 organization to be the recipient of the donated tickets or allow the Bisons to choose one of the many great causes the team currently works with.

The Bisons have a number of great ticket packages currently available that would include the donation of 4 undated flex tickets to a worthy cause.

All Bisons Holiday Packs (starting at $53) -Choose from 3 options with each Holiday Pack including Opening Day tickets, flex tickets, a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ornament and a great Bisons merchandise option. Savings up to 66%

>>>CLICK HERE TO VIEW BISONS HOLIDAY PACKS<<<</a>

Season Tickets (starting at $525) -See all 70 Bisons games in 2019 with over 50% in savings and the most exclusive rewards and benefits package in sports. CLICK HERE for 2019 season ticket info.

12-Game Flex Pack ($138) -Receive 12 undated flex tickets that can be used for any game and in any combination throughout the 2019 season (excludes July 3rd).

Family Pack ($81) -Receive four undated tickets, $30 in Bisons Bucks and 25% off at the ballpark gift shops (excludes July 3rd).

Event Packs (starting at $80) -The Bisons also have special individual ticket packages for next year’s Star Wars Night, KeyBank Independence Eve Celebration with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Superhero Night.

>>>CLICK HERE to view all Bisons 2019 Ticket Pack Options<<<</a>

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Baseball Dinner Has Donated Over $1.7 Million

Manchester, N.H. – Continuing the team’s holiday tradition, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays Double-A affiliate) announced today that the proceeds generated from the 2018 Granite State Baseball Dinner brought the overall donation total above $1.7 million since 2007.

Through sponsorship donations, ticket sales, silent and live auctions, and raffle ticket sales, a donation of over $91,000 from this year’s event will benefit the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD), the Ted Williams Foundation, and the Fisher Cats Foundation.

Presented by Northeast Delta Dental, the 2018 dinner welcomed first-time guests like First Ballot Hall of Famer Steve Carlton, 2004 World Series Champion Orlando Cabrera, and Big Red Machine staple George Foster. The event also featured two of the only MLB first round draft picks to come out of New Hampshire: Chris Carpenter (1993) and Grant Lavigne (2018).

The Fisher Cats will open the 2019 season on Thursday, April 4 at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets). Full and Half-Season Tickets and Mini-Ticket Plans are currently on sale, and each features a variety of benefits, gifts, and experiences. To learn more, stop by the box office at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, call (603) 641-2005, or visit www.nhfishercats.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

9th Annual Scotiabank Vancouver Canadians Hot Stove Luncheon Tickets Now On-Sale

(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium – Vancouver, B.C.) – Tickets to the 9th Annual Scotiabank Vancouver Canadians Hot Stove Luncheon set for Friday, January 25th, 2019 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver from 12pm to 2pm are now on-sale as we look to sell this event out for it’s 9th consecutive year!

At this year’s event, we will feature a handful of special guests from the Toronto Blue Jays family that will surely bring out the true baseball fans in each and everyone as this event has brought everyone from Marcus Stroman, Russell Martin and Aaron Sanchez to Hall of Famers Tim Raines and Roberto Alomar. This year, we will feature several baseball greats that will not disappoint!

Bring your family, friends and colleagues together for an afternoon of fun, food and familiar faces as we support the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation on Friday, January 25th, 2019. This event has sold out in each of its first eight years so don’t delay.

Click HERE for the 9th Annual Scotiabank Vancouver Canadians Hot Stove Luncheon Order Form

About the 9th Annual Scotiabank Vancouver Canadians Hot Stove Luncheon:

Each year, the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation brings fans together to celebrate our efforts from within our Foundation. Are goal is not only to raise funding for our many programs, but also bring awareness to the many local children from our own neighbourhoods that need our commitment and support. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and partners, we have been able to welcome more than 1,500 children between the ages of 8 and 13 out to historic Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium and provide them with the opportunity to play organized baseball, cost-free which includes their equipment, transportation and meals. We are also proud to say we have had more than 100 local volunteers donate their time to this project allowing children to feel safe, build confidence and learn the game of baseball on the same diamond that the Vancouver Canadians play on each summer.

The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation has helped a number of community programs, teams and organizations with funding and this year we will unveil our newest community initiative which will give baseball leagues from all across the Lower Mainland the chance to receive much needed support.

Since 2010, the VCBF has helped a number of teams, programs and community initiatives including:

Challenger Baseball – Not only have the Canadians provided funding to the league inself dating back to 2009, but in 2016 the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation in cooperation with Variety – the Children’s Charity, the Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation & Jays Care created Western Canada’s first fully synthetic baseball field specifically designed for Challenger Baseball which included dugouts and a playing surface that met needs ensuring that all children could discover and enjoy the game of baseball. The Variety Challenger Baseball ‘Field of Dreams is located just steps away from historic Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.

UBC Thunderbirds Baseball – For nearly a decade the VCBF has donated nearly $200,000 to the UBC Thunderbirds Baseball Program to provide scholarships set aside exclusively for local student/athletes who want to continue pursuing their post-secondary education while playing for Canada’s most celebrated collegiate baseball program. Since our donations began, UBC has seen more than 35 players receive direct funding thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

Women’s National Baseball Program – Still in it’s infancy, the VCBF has supported Baseball Canada’s efforts to elevate women’s baseball across the country. The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation provided financial support to the Women’s Program to send their players to the Dominican Republic for a player identification camp that also gave the players and coaching staff the chance to immerse themselves into one of the world’s most passionate countries when it comes to the game of baseball.

Vancouver Canadians Baseball League – This cornerstone program of the VCBF brings out upward of 300 local children each summer to play organized baseball, many of them for the first time in their lives, cost-free thanks to your generosity. This League transports children from 11 different districts throughout the Lower Mainland, provides them with certified equipment, a warm supper mid-game and gives them a safe place to receive mentorship and guidance that helps them both on and off the field. This program which operates in cooperation with The Boys & Girls Clubs of B.C. have provided an opportunity for more than 1,500 local children between the ages of 8-and-13 since 2009.

Jeff Mooney & Suzanne Bolton Youth Scholarship Program – Created in 2017, Vancouver Canadians co-owner Jeff Mooney & his wife Suzanne Bolton created a Scholarship Program donated to The Boys & Girls Clubs of B.C. in hopes of providing an opportunity for up to seven local children who aspire to continue their education beyond high school. The requirements are that they apply for this $10,000+ scholarship showing a commitment to both the classroom and the community. In 2017, all seven scholarships were presented thanks to the overwhelming generosity of both Jeff Mooney & his wife Suzanne Bolton. This year, we look forward to awarding seven more scholarships to deserving young men and women who are making a difference at home, in their communities and in the classroom.

Our newest Community Commitment will be unveiled at this year’s event and we look forward to sharing this exciting “hands-on” project with you all on Friday, January 25th, 2019 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

We cannot help without your support, and tickets to this event go on-sale starting Thursday, November 15th at 12:00pm by calling 604.872.5232, online here at www.canadiansbaseball.com or by visiting the Nat Bailey Stadium Box Office at 4601 Ontario Street, Vancouver, B.C.

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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Canadians Thanksgiving provides local families with holiday cheer

(Vancouver, B.C.) – With both wins and losses in the rearview mirror the Vancouver Canadians were more than happy to roll up the old sleeves and head into the community to kickstart the Thanksgiving Long Weekend by sharing more than 100 family-sized turkeys with those connected to the Salvation Army Vancouver Community & Family Services on Fraser Street. The annual donation with now reaches back more than a decade brings Save-On-Foods Main Street, the Vancouver Canadians and the Salvation Army with one collective purpose – to ensure families from across our neighbourhood can enjoy a quality and heartfelt holiday.

Led by Vancouver Canadians Vice President, Sales & Marketing Graham Wall, the C’s work with both Save-On-Foods and The Salvation Army to prepare a cost-free initiative that also provides dignity to those receiving this gift in time for the Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend.

“It speaks to the leadership from within our community,” states Graham Wall as he describes how both Save-On-Foods and The Salvation Army make this annual event a priority each October.

“These are the types of businesses that we encourage everyone within our community to support,” adds Wall.

Save-On-Foods provides both the family-sized turkey as well as the basting pan which makes the cooking of the meal that much easier while the Canadians present the distribution while sharing a time-tested recipe that will ensure the turkey comes out of the oven juicy and ready for the whole family to enjoy.

Dating back to 2008, the Vancouver Canadians Thanksgiving has now connected with more than 1,000 local families and is a staple of the organization’s off-season philanthropic efforts.

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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Connor Eller Receives Blue Jays Community Service Award

Right-handed pitcher Connor Eller has been selected as the 2018 Dunedin Blue Jays Community Service Award winner for his continued commitment to helping those in need in the Dunedin community and supporting Blue Jays community initiatives.

The Blue Jays Community Service Award has been given annually since 2012 to the Blue Jays player who best exemplifies the team’s commitment to enriching the Dunedin community through a variety of outreach programs that promote education, healthy lifestyles, and charity. Throughout the 2018 season, Eller represented the Blue Jays in the community through numerous appearances away from the ballpark as he worked to encourage local children and support local families.

“Connor has been a leader in the clubhouse and the community for the past two seasons. He’s exemplified everything this award stands for through his continued dedication to our community service projects,” Blue Jays Manager of Community Relations Kathi Beckman said. “We couldn’t be more proud to present him with the 2018 Community Service Award.”

Eller helped lead the 2018 Blue Jays Bookin’ It To The Ballpark Reading Program, the largest community outreach program in the franchise’s history, reaching fifteen-hundred elementary school students in 19 Pinellas County schools. He visited local elementary schools to support the program and promote literacy by reading to local students, answering their questions, and encouraging them in their studies.

“My favorite event was definitely the reading visits,” Eller said. “The kids get so excited when you walk in the door. Seeing their smiles when they come up and read with you is a joy.”

Eller was also active at the 2018 Blue Jays Bowling Tournament, an event that raised over $10,000 to benefit local families through Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay. He also volunteered to help local families at the Dunedin Cares, Inc. Food Pantry, helping to fight hunger in the Dunedin Community. At their annual Hometown USA celebration, the Blue Jays collected 1,126 pounds of food for Dunedin Cares, Inc. as part of Minor League Baseball’s annual BUSH’s Beans Food Drive. Alongside teammate Riley Adams and mascot DJay, Eller helped sort and distribute the food the team had collected to local families.

“It was really neat when Riley and I went to the Food Pantry. I think we gave back to the community in a different way. It was heartwarming to put yourself in other people’s situation and be able to help them and show love to them.”

Eller joins a distinguished list of former Community Service Award winners that includes Danny Barnes, Matt Newman, Taylor Cole, L.B. Dantzler, Jorge Saez, Tim Mayza, and Josh DeGraaf.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Blue Jays Minor’s Top Contributor In “Team Up Against Hunger” Food Drive

Minor League Baseball and BUSH’s Beans announced on Tuesday that the Dunedin Blue Jays were the top contributing team in the “Team Up Against Hunger” July food drive initiative. Blue Jays fans donated 1,126 pounds of non-perishable food items at Dunedin’s annual Hometown USA celebration, the largest donation of nearly 80 participating Minor League teams from across the country. In recognition of the generosity of Dunedin fans, BUSH’s Beans and MiLB Charities will match the Blue Jays’ donation to the Dunedin Cares, Inc. Food Pantry to help local families in need in Pinellas County.

Over five tons of food was collected during the 2018 food drive throughout the Minor Leagues, which will help provide over 9,000 meals to families in need in 35 states. The food items donated by Blue Jays fans and the matching donation from BUSH’s Beans/MiLB Charities will go to Dunedin Cares, Inc., a local food pantry that has distributed over 85,000 pounds of food to over 6,500 local residents since 2015.

Blue Jays staff, mascot DJay, and players Riley Adams and Connor Eller visited the Dunedin Cares, Inc. Food Pantry to deliver the team’s donation and help sort and distribute the food to local families in late July. At the Blue Jays July 3rd Hometown USA event, $595 was raised for Dunedin Cares through an in-game 50/50 raffle in addition to the donation of non-perishable food items.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Blue Jays Bowling Tournament Raises Over $10,000

DUNEDIN-FL, The Dunedin Blue Jays 2018 Charity Bowling Tournament on Saturday, July 21st raised $10,370 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay. Over 200 local baseball fans participated in the event, joining the entire Dunedin Blue Jays team at Maple Lanes Countryside Bowling Alley in Clearwater for a day of bowling, raffles, silent auctions, and prizes during the team’s fifth annual tournament. Since 2014, the event has raised over $45,000 to support the well-being of local families through Ronald McDonald House Charities.

“The Blue Jays are incredibly grateful for the continued support of local businesses and their sponsorships that make this event possible each year, for our players for dedicating their time to helping the local community, and most of all for fans who helped make this year’s event a success,” Kathi Beckman, the Blue Jays Manager of Community Relations, said following the event.

For the third consecutive year, the event raised over $10,000 to help Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay care for families with children receiving treatment in local hospitals. Adding to the excitement at the tournament, local fan Teddy K. threw the first perfect 300 game in bowling tournament history. For his feat, Teddy was awarded a team-signed bowling ball and pin and the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a 2019 Toronto Blue Jays Spring Training game.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Learn From The Pros At Blue Jays Baseball Camp

Looking for a great baseball camp experience for your child? Look no further than your hometown Dunedin Blue Jays Summer Baseball Camp. The camp features four mornings of professional instruction from Blue Jays coaches and players, and will feature expert instruction in fielding, throwing, batting, and base running. Lunch will be provided for all attending each day.

Dates: Monday, July 9 – Thursday, July 12
Time: 9 AM – 12 PM (Lunch served until 12:30
Ages: 6-16
Location: Dunedin Stadium
Cost: $115 per camper ($100 with Jr. Jays Membership)

More information and sign-up

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Registration Open For Annual Charity Bowling Tournament

Registration is officially open for the fifth annual Dunedin Blue Jays Charity Bowling Tournament to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay held on Saturday, July 21st at Maple Lanes Countryside. Last year’s tournament raised over $12,800 to help local families in need through Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay, a total the Blue Jays hope to eclipse in 2018.

The tournament will offer fans and participants the opportunity to bowl with and meet and greet their favorite Dunedin Blue Jays players and coaches, the chance to take home great Blue Jays memorabilia in a raffle and silent auction, and chances to win autographed merchandise, gift certificates, art, and other prizes throughout the event all while supporting a great cause.

Participation in the tournament costs $25 per bowler and includes two games of bowling, shoe rental, food and drink, a ticket to attend that evening’s Dunedin Blue Jays game, and a special participation gift. Individual bowlers and full teams of six are welcome to register. All proceeds from the tournament will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay.

Interested bowlers can find out more information and register for the tournament by visiting www.DunedinBlueJays.com/Bowling. Local businesses interested in being a lane sponsor at the event and having their logo and advertising displayed at the event can visit the same link or contact the Blue Jays at (727)-733-9302 for more information.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Local Students Read For Over 290,000 Minutes During Reading Program

A record 19 local elementary schools participated in the eighth annual Dunedin Blue Jays Bookin’ It To The Ballpark Reading Program sponsored by TD Bank in 2018. Recognizing literacy as a key skill necessary for academic achievement, the Blue Jays have encouraged and rewarded local students for reading with their annual reading program since 2011. This year, over 1,500 elementary school students across Pinellas County combined to read for 296,383 minutes during the six-week program. In hours, those totals would equal 4,940 hours of reading or over 205 full days spent reading by local students.

The Blue Jays visited all 19 schools during the course of the program, bringing players and their mascot DJay to encourage students. Dunedin players read to and with the students, answered questions from students and teachers, shared their experiences on and off the field, and gave advice on school and sports.

Participating students tracked their reading on baseball-themed bookmarks provided by the Blue Jays, advancing around the bases of a baseball diamond as they read outside of class to score runs for their class. Students who scored two runs for the class by reading 20 minutes at home eight times were rewarded with a ticket voucher to attend a Dunedin Blue Jays game. At the end of the program, the Blue Jays returned with pizza and a classroom library donation for the class that read the most in each school. Of the 19 participating schools, students at Curtis Fundamental Elementary (56,363 minutes) and Lake St. George Elementary (36,920 minutes) read for the most total minutes.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Roswell Park to help Bisons fans protect their skin with free sunscreen at games

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Buffalo Bisons are teaming up to help Bisons’ fans protect themselves from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can burn and damage the skin. Damaged skin cells can lead to skin cancer, the most common cancer in the U.S.

Throughout the Bisons’ 2018 season, sunscreen will be provided to game attendees to make it as easy as possible to protect their skin, even on cloudy days when the sun can still do damage. Six sunscreen dispenser stations will be available throughout Coca-Cola Field in downtown Buffalo.

“Always protect your skin by wearing sunscreen, and choose one that has an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher. Be sure to reapply it every 1-2 hours,” says Ilene Rothman, MD, Interim Chair of Dermatology and Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Dermatology at Roswell Park. “Many people think that because we’re in Buffalo, their risk of developing skin cancer is low, but skin cancer is the most common cancer even in Buffalo. Plenty of sun damage occurs on a cloudy day, and just one sunburn causes significant harm to your skin.”

“There’s nothing better than sitting back and enjoying a warm, sunny day at the ballpark. Thanks to our great partnership with Roswell Park and the installation of these free sunscreen dispensers throughout Coca-Cola Field, our fans will be able to easily protect themselves while cheering on the Bisons throughout the season,” said Mike Buczkowski, Vice President/General Manager of the Buffalo Bisons.

Skin cancer awareness days will also be held thoughout the season, kicking off with Melanoma Monday on Monday, May 7. Roswell Park representatives will be on hand to educate fans about the signs and symptoms of skin cancer, prevention and early detection. Monday, May 7, 2018, is Melanoma Monday. The national awareness day focuses on melanoma, which is the deadliest type of skin cancer.

Friday, May 25 is Don’t Fry Day. It’s part of the national effort to encourage sun safety awareness. The public will have an opportunity to learn more about skin cancer and get sunscreen samples during both events.

About Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Jays Donate Equipment To Youth In Nicaragua

The Blue Jays were in a hurry following their Florida State League North Division Championship victory over the Tampa Yankees in early September. Hurricane Irma was bearing down on Florida, forcing the FSL to cancel it’s championship series and cram the final two games of the North Division championship into a doubleheader, and most of the team was set to be shuttled to the airport as soon as they got their bags packed following Dunedin’s title win.

Despite their tight schedule and the emotions piling up in the room, the euphoria from having just won a championship, the anxiety from the impending hurricane, and the sadness always found at the end of a long season bidding farewell to teammates and friends, the 2017 Dunedin Blue Jays team united for one final community service project before they parted ways.

The team pulled a large cardboard box into the clubhouse and began filling it with their equipment. When it overflowed with cleats, bats, hats, batting gloves, and other gear, they grabbed a second box to hold even more equipment to be donated to youth baseball players in need.

This past week, the Blue Jays equipment was transported to Nicaragua and distributed to youth baseball players and teams.

Despite baseball being the national sport of the Central American country, civil war, natural disasters, and poverty have created conditions that make it difficult for young ballplayers to access the basic equipment needed to play the game at a high level. Only fourteen Nicaraguans have ever played in the Major Leagues and just three appeared in an MLB game during the 2017 season. With three quarters of the country living on less than $2 per day, sports equipment is simply too expensive for most families.

Partnering with the non-profit Helping Kids Round First and the St. Petersburg College baseball team, the Blue Jays helped make it possible for children in the impoverished Somotillo and Somoto regions of northern Nicaragua and young athletes in the city of Rivas to play the game of baseball. Players ranging in ages from 5 to 16 were provided with gloves, bats, hats, batting gloves, baseballs, cleats, and catching gear, many receiving those items for the first time in their lives.

In northern Nicaragua, the equipment was delivered in small communities of subsistence farmers where highly competitive youth baseball leagues are played on livestock grazing land between villages. Too excited to even wait for the pastures to be cleared of animals to play, bullpen sessions broke out next to bean fields outside of the farmers’ houses.

When volunteers arrived in Rivas, the team chosen to receive equipment was in the middle of a sandlot game with two dirt-blackened baseballs and a single hand-made wooden bat. Players on both sides shared fielding gloves. Within minutes of receiving their new equipment, the ballplayers had returned to the field, too anxious to try out their new gloves and bats to be herded together for a photo.

For many players, Dunedin is a step on the path to a Major League career. Thanks to the generosity of the 2017 Blue Jays players, Dunedin has helped young baseball players in Nicaragua take the first step towards a career in baseball that otherwise would not have been possible.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Canadians deliver on Thanksgiving promise

Here is a link to the original story on the team’s website.

(Vancouver, B.C.) – The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club in partnership with Save-On-Foods and The Salvation Army shared in some Thanksgiving generosity on Wednesday delivering 100 family-sized turkeys to local families in advance of the upcoming long weekend.

“We put our commitment to this community above all else,” states Vancouver Canadians, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Graham Wall.

Vancouver Canadians“To help bring families together this Thanksgiving and do it alongside both Save-On-Foods and The Salvation Army is really special for us. These families rely on The Salvation Army on a daily basis so to be able to help bring some cheer as the holiday season approaches is something we take great pride in.”

“Many people we serve find it difficult to afford the necessities of life such as rent, the medications they may need, and heat and hydro. Together with our community partners, we are able to share this gift of a turkey which provides a nutritious meal and the added blessing of precious time spent with family and friends over a meal at Thanksgiving time,” James Hagglund, Major, Salvation Army.

This event marks the 11th consecutive year that the Vancouver Canadians have hand-delivered family-sized turkeys to local families in co-operation with The Salvation Army.

“I’m glad they gave me instructions,” said Karen who brought her basket in tow to help bring home her family-sized turkey.

“My family doesn’t get together a whole lot so maybe this will bring them over,” Karen added while smiling.

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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.