MOUNT VERNON GROUP WINS $50,000 FIELD REFURBISHMENT GRANT FOR BRUSH PARK FROM SCOTTS® AND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

MOUNT VERNON — The Friends of Mount Vernon Arts, Recreation and Youth Programs, Inc. and the Mount Vernon Recreation Department have been selected by a special blue-ribbon panel to receive a $50,000 field refurbishment grant for Brush Park from the Scotts Company LLC (Scotts) and Major League Baseball (MLB).

Scotts and MLB announced the four community organizations that will receive improvements to their local ball fields through a grant initiative that is part of the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program. The Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program provides youth with modern, playable baseball and softball fields in American communities of need.

“Baseball has always been a safe place for young people of all ages to enjoy sports and enhance athletic skills, while developing life-long relationships” said Mayor Richard Thomas.

“We are honored and encouraged by this partnership with Scotts and MLB. This is an example of how our children’s lives are changed by improvements in public facilities through public-private partnerships”, said Darren M. Morton, Ed.D., CPRP, President of the Friends of Mount Vernon Arts, Recreation and Youth Programs, and Commissioner of Mount Vernon Recreation.

The winners of the grant program are: Allentown School District and Lehigh Valley RBI Baseball (PA), City of Wewoka, Oklahoma (OK), Friends of Ray School PTO (Chicago, IL) and Friends of Mount Vernon Arts, Recreation and Youth Programs, Inc./the Mount Vernon Recreation Program (NY). More than $200,000 in repairs and upgrades will be made across the four fields over the coming months.

Friends of Mount Vernon Arts, Recreation and Youth Programs, Inc. was selected from 350 grant applications across 300+ cities in 46 states seeking refurbishments for their youth fields. The winning organizations were chosen by a special blue-ribbon panel which included Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., six-time MLB All-Star & 2008 World Series champion Chase Utley, Olympic Gold Medalist & MLB Youth Softball Ambassador Jennie Finch, World Series champion & MLB Network analyst Cliff Floyd, and additional executive leadership from MLB and Scotts.

In addition to the grant, at each refurbished field Scotts will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and youth baseball clinic run by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation that will be attended by special Major League guests. A new equipment package will also be provided to each of the four Scotts Field Refurbishment grant recipients.

“As a father, I know first-hand how vital it is to have a safe place for kids to play ball in their communities,” said Utley. “I’m proud to partner with Scotts and support their Field Refurbishment Program, and provide the girls and boys in Allentown, Chicago, Mount Vernon and Wewoka spaces where they can learn the game while having fun. Baseball gave so much to me, and I hope that through this program, we can have a positive impact on the lives of children.”

“We are proud to continue our field refurbishment program with MLB, as they share our commitment to giving back and impacting communities across the U.S.,” said Josh Peoples, Senior Vice President, Brand Marketing, Scotts “These new fields will be bright spots in their respective neighborhoods where kids can just be kids. The upgrades we’re making will ensure the area youth have a safe place to play the game they love, fueling their passion for sports and a healthy lifestyle.”

MLB and Scotts, a long-time league sponsor, began the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program prior to the 2016 championship season to provide kids with modern, playable ball fields in communities around the U.S. This program is part of Scotts’ efforts as an official partner of the ‘PLAY BALL’ initiative, MLB’s collective effort to encourage young people and communities to participate in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, events and casual forms of play. In its first three seasons, the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program renovated 20 fields with nearly $2 million of support. At the conclusion of the 2019 season, those numbers will near two dozen fields and $2.5M.

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