St. Aloysius Catholic school is getting its field of dreams.
St. Aloysius Catholic school is getting its field of dreams.
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The Stratford school found out this week it will rebuild its ball diamond after receiving one of 14 Jays Care Foundation grants.
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“We were really excited,” principal Andrea Leroux said. “We think it’s going to be a really awesome addition to our school yard.”
St. Al’s has been a Jays Care Foundation school for two years and had previously received baseball equipment and books. Grade 8 teacher Janis Antonio applied last fall for a Field of Dreams grant. The program, funded by Jays Care’s 50/50 sales, will commit more than $1.5 million in community infrastructure investments across Canada in 2024.
“These diamonds will provide children and youth across the country with a safe and inclusive space to develop life-skills, learn from positive role models and find a sense of belonging among their peers,” the foundation says on its website.
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“It’s really hard for schools to fundraise money for things like upkeep of a baseball diamond or putting in a playground,” Antonio said, “but that’s part of what’s important for kids is to get an outlet to be active outside and be with friends. ”
School staff and community volunteers can only do so much to maintain the ball diamond, especially without expertise in grounds keeping, Antonio said. The COVID-19 shutdown a few years ago didn’t help as grass and weeds started to overtake the field.
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“When the lawn isn’t maintained in a certain way, it’s bumpy and has holes and kids have a better chance of injury because the ground isn’t level,” she said.
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St. Al’s will get $54,000 to rebuild the diamond with under-11 dimensions. That includes excavating and reshaping the infield and refilling it with clay, adding drainage, a new home plate, base anchors, fencing and covered benches.
Two-pitch teams and phys-ed classes often use the diamond during the school day, and kids from the neighborhood can be found there after the final bell rings and during the summer.
“(St. Al’s) definitely has a soft spot in my heart,” Antonio said. “It’s in my neighborhood and my children went.”
Many of the students and their parents had a watch party in the gym to learn the good news. Work will start in the summer, and the new field should be ready for the fall.
“You just think nobody (here) wins that stuff,” Antonio said. “Everybody who applied is deserving and there’s a need. I’m very grateful.”
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