The Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Community Foundation have pledged $100,000 toward the reconstruction of Milwaukee’s Sherman Park baseball field to give Boys & Girls Clubs Little League players and central city kids a quality venue for games and programs.
“The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs’ Youth Sports programs is to provide members with access to youth sports that impart valuable life lessons, such as teamwork and good sportsmanship as well as develop their leadership skills,” said Vincent Lyles, president and chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. “This support from Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Community Foundation will help do just that.”
The Brewers and the team’s philanthropic arm, which have also supported Boys & Girls Clubs’ “Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities” Program and “Little Brewers” softball, presented their donation during the Boys and Girls Clubs’ Salute to Youth MVP Dinner & Celebration held Monday night.
“On behalf of Brewers Community Foundation, the Sherman Park baseball field revitalization is consistent with our mission to positively impact the lives of children and their families in Greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin,” said Cecelia Gore, executive director of the foundation. “This revitalization project will make Little League baseball and softball accessible to Boys & Girls Clubs and other local residents, especially those who live in the inner city.”
Transformation efforts will begin this year and will likely be completed by the opening of the 2014 baseball and softball season. The field will be outfitted with a new scoreboard, field fencing and dugouts, infield landscaping, paint field infrastructure and adaptive diamond dimensions to better serve Boys & Girls Club kids.
The Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture will take over maintenance of the field. Boys & Girls Clubs will be granted exclusive access to the renovated field during the first two years of its operation.
The Sherman Park baseball field is located on the corner of N. Sherman Blvd. and W. Burleigh St. in Milwaukee.
