Toronto Blue Jays' charity gives Kinkora ball field a $68k boost
Upgrades to Duffy Field will allow older youth to play there, and improve spectator safety
A project to redevelop the Duffy baseball field in Kinkora, P.E.I., became a lot easier with the announcement that the Jays Care Foundation would make a $68,000 contribution.
The redevelopment includes expanding the infield, reseeding the outfield, new bleachers and fencing repairs.
Jays Care executive director Robert Witchel said the plan in Kinkora is just the kind of project the foundation likes to support.
"Those that are impacting younger children, so children and youth, those are what we are particularly interested in funding," Witchel said.
"Projects that have strong community involvement, a lot of volunteers, an active program for kids in baseball and a track record of a good program."
Jays Care, the charitable arm of the Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays, recently announced a total of $1.5 million in investments in 14 ball fields across the country, Kinkora's being one of them.
Duffy Field was built in the mid-1990s on land donated by the Duffy family. With community support at the time it cost about $16,000, said Tina Harvey, CAO of the Rural Municipality of Kinkora.
The community has kept it up since, said Harvey, but there have been no major renovations.
"That's a substantial amount of time with no work done to the field. It's much needed," she said.
"It is a little rough by times."
In season, the field is used seven days a week. It is Kinkora Regional High School's ball diamond in addition to being used for minor ball in the area, and none of the users are charged.
The expanded infield is a crucial piece of the project. It will allow for older youth playing minor ball to use the field. Currently it is suitable for up to U13. The expansion will allow for U15 play.
Adding the U15 players will mean about another 60 children to the group regularly playing at the ball field.
Kevin McKenna, an advisor with the Bedeque Area Minor Baseball Association, said repairs to Duffy Field's fencing and backstop will make watching the game safer for spectators.
He also hopes the investment from Jays Care will get more of the community's youth interested in playing baseball.
"It was great news. The ball field needs a revamp and reconstruction. It's fairly outdated, the fencing," McKenna said.
"Looking at safety for kids, it's a welcome addition."
Harvey said the goal is to have the upgrades to the field completed in time for a grand re-opening in September.
With files from Island Morning and Sheehan Desjardins