KV Girls Softball lands major funding from Blue Jays Foundation

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On Tuesday, the Kennebecasis Valley Girls Softball Association celebrated a national funding award from the Toronto Blue Jays.

And already, the association is making plays on what to do with the $50,000 Field of Dreams made possible by a TD grant to upgrade Wells Field in Rothesay, where the association plays many games.

In a release outlining the award from the Jays Care Foundation and TD, association president Stacey Blois said the funds will be used as they launch their Lite it Up fundraising campaign to have lights installed for play at the Wells Field.

The association said the Town of Rothesay has reached an agreement to oversee the project with the understanding that the association will make a substantial contribution to the cost.

With 380 members, the KVGSA is the largest all-female softball association in New Brunswick. With those large numbers and limited field time, their Learn to Play program takes place at an adjacent soccer field.

The light installation will allow all the members to practise and play on a softball field. It will also assist in reducing the number of people who are on a waiting list to be able to play.

The announcement was made on Sportsnet prior to Tuesday’s Jays’ game against the Kansas City Royals. Members of the association held a watch party and were delighted to hear the news.

Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant was on hand, saying “we at the town are so excited for our ‘softball girls’ and very pleased that in partnership with them, we will be able to upgrade our Wells Recreation Park to include a lighted softball field. This will allow more girls to participate and eliminate the wait list.”

The KVGSA started in 2011 with 112 players and now is close to 400 members with Learn to Play, recreational and travel team programs.

As part of the Jays Care Foundation, the Field of Dreams made possible by TD, officials select projects that refurbish and build local baseball diamonds in communities across the country. The goal of the project is to create or enhance diamonds that are safe and inclusive where communities can connect, and kids can grow.

In the past 10 years, Jays Care has invested nearly $15 million into 163 Field of Dreams diamonds across 10 provinces and two territories. This year, the Wells Field upgrade was part of the $1.5 million Jays Care committed to 15 projects across Canada.