TROY, NY- The Tri-City ValleyCats and their corporate partners, BlueShield of Northeastern New York and Hannaford Supermarkets, have teamed up on the 7^th Annual ‘4 in 24’ Field Renovation Project, where four youth ball fields will be renovated in a 24-hour time period on Thursday, April 13.

The four leagues to receive the work will be Amsterdam Youth Baseball, Colonie Little League, Tri-Village Little League, and RC Little League. Each field will receive new sod placed on the infield, a rebuilding of the pitcher’s mound and home plate areas, raking and grading of the infield dirt, cutting the baselines to the correct specifications, and much more.

“Since we began the ‘4 in 24’ project back in 2011, it has been one of our most impactful community outreach events each year that has positively affected thousands of youth ballplayers within the Capital Region,” said ValleyCats General Manager Matt Callahan. “We can’t thank BlueShield and Hannaford enough for their tremendous support of this important initiative.”

This year marks the seventh consecutive ‘4 in 24’ project, and upon its completion, 28 youth ballfields will have been renovated. What has made it all possible is the support of the ValleyCats partners, who have aided in supplying the necessary resources and volunteer commitment to complete these renovations.

“BlueShield knows the importance of supporting programs that provide healthy opportunities for the children throughout our community to play and learn,” said Dr. Kirk Panneton, Vice President, Regional Executive and Medical Director, BlueShield of Northeastern New York.  “Our company and employees have helped to transform more than 24 fields since partnering with the Tri-City ValleyCats, and we are thrilled to support the ‘4 in 24’ program again this year.”

“Youth development and wellness are two of the things that matter most to our communities and to Hannaford,” said Hannaford Supermarkets Community Relations Specialist Brian Fabre. “Through this partnership with the ValleyCats and BlueShield, we are proud to provide young people with wonderfully improved facilities for healthy play and for growth as individuals and as members of a team.”

Work on each field will commence at daybreak, and will continue through the night if needed. The efforts will also be assisted by BrightView (the ValleyCats official grounds crew), Admar Construction, Turface, and SiteOne Landscape Supplies, who are contributing some of the necessary equipment, materials, and volunteers. Additional support comes from ‘Cats Care, the ValleyCats’ arm of the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation.

2017 ‘4 in 24’ Youth League Snapshots

Amsterdam Youth Baseball

Field Address: Lower Veterans Field, Locust Avenue, Amsterdam, NY 12010

Opening Day: Saturday, April 22

League Information:

Over 625 kids and 70 adult volunteers devote thousands of hours of cumulative time to making Amsterdam Youth Baseball run, and are the only organization in Montgomery and Fulton County that offers baseball to youngsters in the spring, summer and fall. They have T-Ball (5-6), Rookies (7-8), Minors (9-10) and Majors (11-12) as well as a travel team for each age group – 9U, 10U, 11U and 12U.

The 2017 renovation will focus on their lower Veteran’s Field, in order to make it a 50’/70′ field so that youngsters ages 5-12 can play. This renovation will allow for the field to also serve as a practice field, which the league doesn’t currently have. With over 600 children, this second field is crucial to providing adequate practice and playing time for each team.

League Statement:

“We appreciate everything that the ValleyCats do for local youth baseball leagues. We were in dire need of a secondary field and now we are able to accommodate the influx of kids ages 4-12 who play in our spring league as well as our fall league that had 18 teams last season – the largest in our 67-year history.”

-Paul Antonelli, President, Amsterdam Youth Baseball

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Colonie Little League

Field Address: Pee Wee Field, Cook Park, Colonie, NY 12205

Opening Day: Saturday, April 29

League Information:

With 32 teams and almost 400 registered members, Colonie Little League has a big impact on their community. However, their Pee Wee level field is in need of repair, as the mound has sunken down, the home plate area has very poor drainage, which has caused an uneven batters box, and the infield grass is uneven and unsafe. Given the importance of providing a safe and fun place for the youngest level players to play and learn, where the love for the game is born, this project is of utter importance.

League Statement:

“I wanted to take a moment to extend our most sincere thank you for selecting Colonie Little League for this year’s 4 in 24. You have no idea how excited we are to have received notification that we were selected for the field makeover. It was truly a welcomed surprise and will save us time and money.

It is so exciting and terrific that the ValleyCats and their partners sponsor programs that continue to give to communities like ours. Having the field redone will be great for our kids and the league for years to come.

-Ron Filkins, President, Colonie Little League

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Tri-Village Little League

Field Address: Magee Park, 23 Kenwood Avenue, Glenmont, NY 12077

Opening Day: Monday, April 24

League Information:

The Community Grounds Crew will be renovating Tri-Village’s Farm field, where the infield and mounds are dire need of replacement. The field also has grading issues which need to be resolved in order to improve water run-off. Tri-Village currently serves over 400 youth ballplayers aged 5-12.

League Statement:

“On behalf of Tri-Village Little League, our board of directors and all the kids that play in our league, I want to thank the Tri-City ValleyCats for selecting our organization to be part of their community field renovation program. The ValleyCats’ commitment to youth baseball is extraordinary and this is just another example of the tremendous support they are providing to the local baseball communities and the community at large. Having one of our fields selected for renovation is a tremendous support to our league from a financial perspective, but more importantly, it will create a safer and more enjoyable baseball experience for our kids.”

-Tyler Kattrein, President, Tri-Village Little League

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RC Little League

Field Address: Major Field, 2445 1st Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12303

Opening Day: Friday, April 28

League Information:

RC’s Major field, which is in need of a complete overhaul of the infield, will be the recipient of the field renovation at their LCW Complex in Rotterdam. RC Little League, which was the result of a merger between Rotterdam and Carman Little Leagues in 2014, serves 430 players across 43 total teams.

League Statement:

RC Little League is anxiously awaiting the start of its 2017 season. We have many exciting changes for the league, as we have begun to work on player development for all divisions. RC Little Leagues major excitement is that we are the recipient of the Tri-City ValleyCats ‘4 in 24’ field renovation program, which will renovate our Major field at the LCW Complex in Rotterdam, NY into a field of dreams. We are anxiously looking forward to volunteering along with the Tri-City ValleyCats and their partners to create a safe and well-maintained field that our players, managers, coaches, their families, and the community will be anxious to come, play and/or watch a ball game!

-Chad Quinlivan, President, RC Little League

The Tri-City ValleyCats and BlueShield of Northeastern New York will team up for the fourth straight year to continue the efforts of the Community Grounds Crew Program, an initiative that assists local youth leagues with maintenance and upkeep of their playing fields throughout the spring and summer.

The Community Grounds Crew will begin in early April 2015 with the annual ‘4 in 24’ Extreme Field Renovation Project, as four select youth fields will receive a facelift in less than 24 hours. The extent of the work includes new sod placed on the infield, rebuilding of the pitcher’s mound and home plate areas, raking and grading of the infield dirt, cutting the baselines to the correct specifications, and more.

“BlueShield is proud to renew our support of the ‘4 in 24’ Field Renovations,” said Kirk Panneton, Regional Executive and Medical Director, BlueShield of Northeastern New York. “Year after year we see the positive impact these field renovations have on the children using the spaces and the community as a whole. At BlueShield we strongly believe that every child should have the opportunity to explore his or her potential through safe and healthy recreational activities.”

“The Community Grounds Crew and ‘4 in 24’ renovation project are key initiatives for our organization each year. Our goal with these programs is to create a positive impact on the community by making a difference in the lives of so many young ballplayers,” said ValleyCats Vice President/General Manager Rick Murphy. “Thanks to our outstanding partnership with BlueShield of Northeastern New York, we are continually able to provide safe and well-maintained fields for youth sports organizations throughout the Capital Region.”

The ValleyCats are currently accepting renovation applications from youth leagues across the Capital Region who are interested in having their field considered for the ‘4 in 24’ or other Community Grounds Crew projects. Applications can be found on the ValleyCats website, www.tcvalleycats.com. New for this year, applicants have the ability to submit their form electronically. Leagues are required to submit photos of the field along with their application.

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION>>

In order to be eligible for the ‘4 in 24’ renovation, applications must be returned by Monday, February 16. 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 ongoing basis.

The efforts of the Community Grounds Crew will be recognized at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium during the ValleyCats 2015 season. Youth leagues from across the area will take part in Youth Baseball Night tentatively scheduled for June 26 and Softball Night on June 25.

Mini-plans, season tickets, and flex plans for the ValleyCats 2015 season are on-sale now. For full details, or to purchase tickets, call 518-629-CATS, log-on to tcvalleycats.com, or visit the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium Box Office.

TROY, NY- The Tri-City ValleyCats, with the support of BlueShield of Northeastern New York, will renovate four youth ball fields in less than 24 hours on Thursday, April 17. As part of the ‘4 in 24’ program, Schenectady Little League, Twin Town Little League, Berne-Knox-Westerlo Little League, and Spring Youth Baseball, will all receive renovations to their playing surface.

In 2014, Little League Baseball and the New York-Penn League each celebrate their 75th anniversary. Additionally, Schenectady will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the original Schenectady Little League’s World Series win in 1954. The Michigan Avenue field, which will receive the renovation, was home to the 1954 team. In a statement issued by the Schenectady Little League Board of Directors, the league expressed its gratification on being selected:

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our league and our community. We now have the opportunity to give this field a much-needed makeover, that will enable us to begin the transformation of the Michigan Avenue complex into a monument to be looked upon in the years to come as a positive influence in our city, and to our baseball community. We are humbled by this decision, and look forward to partnering together with both the Tri-City ValleyCats and our community, to make this a positive experience for our young athletes.”

Twin Town Little League, the ValleyCats neighbors across the street from “The Joe,” and Berne Knox-Westerlo Little League, will also celebrate Little League’s 75th anniversary with a brand new playing surface.

Twin Town will receive the renovation on the field where it plays all of its championship games, and most all-star tournament games.

“For years we have wanted to make significant repairs to our Williams Road No. 2 field, but have not had the resources. This will truly make it our signature field. Twin Town Little League is excited to partner with the ValleyCats on such a special project that will serve children in the community for years to come,” said Bob Schuman, President, Twin Town Little League.

The field in Berne felt the effects of Hurricane Irene, and has never been the same since.

“Fixing our field has been on the league’s wish list for at least six years. It has only gotten worse over that time, to the point where it has become a safety concern,” said Kevin Toomey, President, Berne-Knox-Westerlo Little League. “We are a small league with an equally small budget, so getting this done was going to be a real challenge for us. We managed to buy some good baseball dirt a few years ago, but Hurricane Irene came through a few months later and took it all away. To have someone come in and take care of this all at once is a dream come true.”

Spring Youth Baseball has been part of the Troy community since 1955, and provides house and competitive travel baseball to children from 3-12 years old.

“We are honored, excited and grateful for being selected by the Tri-City ValleyCats for the ‘4 in 24’ field renovation program. It will allow our organization to improve field conditions and maintain a fun, safe atmosphere for kids to continue to learn the game of baseball at all levels. The kids that play ball at Spring and for the Renegades will surely be excited to step onto a field that the Tri-City ValleyCats are responsible to help renovate.”

This spring will be the fourth straight season of the ‘4 in 24’ project, and continues to be one of the ValleyCats most important yearly initiatives.

“Each year the ‘4 in 24’ project provides an opportunity for our front office to get out into the community and support today’s youth by refurbishing ball fields. We couldn’t do it without the outstanding support of BlueShield of Northeastern New York, who shares our deep commitment of giving back to our communities,” said Rick Murphy, Vice President / General Manager, Tri-City ValleyCats.

In 2012, the ValleyCats and BlueShield of Northeastern New York formed a strong community partnership known as the Community Grounds Crew, an expanded initiative to assist local youth leagues with maintenance and upkeep of their fields throughout the spring and summer. Their mission is to provide the youth of the Capital Region with a safe place to play, learn, grow, and most importantly, have fun.

“BlueShield is proud to continue our support for the third year,” said Dr. Kirk Panneton, regional executive and medical director, BlueShield of Northeastern New York. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our corporate mantra, ‘healthy changes everything.’ Playing on a safe and well-maintained field is good for our region’s children, and it’s good for our community. We congratulate the Tri-City ValleyCats for their continued maintenance of more than 10 fields that have been transformed.”

The four fields will receive brand new sod, bases, a home plate and pitcher’s mound, and the baselines will be measured to the correct specifications. The entire scope of the project will be completed in one day.

The efforts will also be aided by the support of Admar Construction, who will provide the necessary equipment to complete the renovations. Other support comes from the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, whose contributions come from past events held at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

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