It’s no secret that when it comes to finding recreation space in Chestermere, our growing city simply does not have enough space. Take that situation and complicate it further with space that isn’t up to par, and it limits your ability to properly organize outdoor sports in the community.
The baseball diamond behind Chestermere Lake Middle School is one of two in Chestermere that are built for the use of younger kids, ages 4-12. But since the diamond is in such poor condition, little league teams have been forced to practice in community soccer fields instead of a proper baseball diamond.
In January 2015, the City of Chestermere submitted a letter to the Toronto Blue Jays and the Jays Care Foundation regarding their Field of Dreams Program. The Blue Jays believe strongly that kids and youth should have a safe environment to play ball and the Jays Care Foundations helps build and develop these safe places. The Jays Care Foundation has invested more than $4 million in the creation of 40 safe youth spaces – including 20 baseball fields – across Canada to date.
Over 60 letters were submitted from across Canada to the Jays Care Foundation, of which only 17 were asked to submit full proposals. With only a handful of projects being selected for funding, it is an absolutely honour that the City of Chestermere is one of them. On August 10th, the Toronto Blue Jays and Jays Care Foundation announced that projects in the City of Windsor and the City of Peterborough, and the City of Chestermere have been awarded funding for their respective baseball projects.
The City of Chestermere has been awarded $150,000 from the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club through the Jays Care Foundation that will be used in the renovation and refurbishing of the baseball diamond at Chestermere Lake Middle School. As part of this sponsorship, the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club and the Jays Care Foundation get to the naming rights to the baseball diamond.
Mayor Patricia Matthews commented, “We are so excited to receive this investment from Jays Care Foundation and put it to work on a truly worthwhile project lie this”.
With almost 30% of Chestermere’s population being under the age of 20, the City of Chestermere feels that this funding could not come at a better time to encourage continued development of baseball in Chestermere.
“As Canada’s team, the Blue Jays are proud to invest in projects that provide children and youth with opportunities to learn valuable life-skills on the baseball diamond,” said Robert Witchel, Executive Director, Jays Care Foundation. “We are proud that our investment in Chestermere will give thousands of local children and youth the opportunity to be physically active and play on facilities that are safe, welcoming and of the quality the community deserves.”
As work to level the field, add more shale, upgrade backstops and add more fencing has already begun, the City hopes that the repairs will be completed in September with a grand opening of the diamond happening in late spring.
Chris Wallin, VP of Chestermere Crushers Baseball is thrilled with Jays Care Foundation’s investment in the field. “Crushers Baseball is ecstatic that there will be another suitable place for our kids to practice and play,” he said. “Our program has grown tremendously over the last 5 years but it has been a struggle to try and accommodate all the teams with a safe place to play. Maybe one day a future Jay will have played on this diamond.”
In 2013, five completed Field of Dreams projects were opened their doors thanks to the generosity of the Jays Care Foundation disbursing more than $772,000.00
