The Ontario government is providing $300,000 to the Jays Care Foundation to help expand baseball programming for children and youth across the province.
The funding, announced Thursday, comes through the province’s Inclusive Grassroots Recreation (IGR) program, which supports increased access to sport and recreation opportunities for young people.
The investment will help support Jays Care’s Indigenous Rookie League and Challenger Baseball programs — initiatives that aim to provide inclusive baseball experiences for Indigenous youth and children living with disabilities.
Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, offers several programs aimed at removing barriers to sport participation and promoting physical activity, social connection, and personal development through baseball.
The provincial government says the funding will help reach more youth across Ontario, especially those who may not otherwise have access to structured recreational programs.
Just last weekend, the Dutton-Dunwich Minor Ball Association’s renovation plans for Diamond #3 in Sons of Scotland Park, was announced as one of the 15 winning Ontario undertakings in the Jays Care Foundation Field of Dreams grant program.
The municipality will receive just over $54,000 to complete upgrades to the diamond, which currently has a broken backstop, uneven playing field, no dugouts and is not accessible. The new, accessible upgrades to the diamond will support the Jays Care Foundation Challenger Baseball program hosted in Dutton.
Written by: K. Freeman
