Spring Training, Orleans Style02/22/2010 2:26 PM Article By:
Spring Training, Orleans Style Orleans, MA -- Pitchers and catchers won’t be reporting to Eldredge Field this week. Instead, a team of local contractors will be on hand to begin the long-awaited field improvement work, the Orleans Athletic Association and the Orleans Firebirds Baseball Club announced today. Once identified by Baseball America as the top collegiate summer park in the nation, the field will undergo a three-phase refurbishment project.
When the Yawkey Foundation, as part of their continued commitment to the Cape Cod Baseball League and its franchises, awarded the league on behalf of the team a generous grant of $150,000 last March, the final touches were put on the plans and designs, commitments to matching the Yawkey funds were sought, and now the project is shovel-ready. The scope of this project is a once-in-a-generation event, much like the work undertaken many years ago by Charles F. Moore, Jr. and his intrepid partners in community service. While these improvements would not be possible without the support of the Yawkey Foundation, the grant will not be the sole source of funding, as the actual cost will be double the award amount. These grants are not gifts; rather, they are partnerships between the municipality, the team, its supporters, and the Yawkey Foundation. Additional funds will be provided by the team’s ongoing fundraising activities, prior Town Meeting appropriations for the field irrigation, the generosity of local businesses and residents, and the professionals, contractors, and suppliers who have committed their time, expertise and resources.
We still need the help of our friends and fans, both in terms of funding and also in-kind donations, so that we can fulfill our commitment to the Yawkey Foundation to see this through to completion. The result will be more than worth the effort. |
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