NEWS SOURCE: Houston Astros
City of Houston’s Hidalgo Park and Magnolia Little League Are First Youth Field and Youth League Helped with Fencing Needs under Going for the Fences Program
HOUSTON, TX /Send2Press Newswire/ — On March 22nd, representatives from the Texas Fence Association, Grand Slam for Youth Baseball, the City of Houston, Magnolia Little League, and the Houston community cut the ribbon on the newly fenced youth ball field at Hidalgo Park. Participating in the event was John Gamble, President of the Texas Fence Association; Fred Arnold, Grand Slam For Youth Baseball Project Manager from Minute Maid; Marian Harper, Vice President of Community Development for the Houston Astros; Carol Alvarado, Mayor Pro-Tem and City Council Member District I; Joe Turner. Director of Houston Parks and Recreation Department; organizers and youth ball players from Magnolia Little League; and supporters of Hidalgo Park.
The field at Hidalgo Park is the first to receive new fencing and installation courtesy of the Texas Fence Association (TFA) and Grand Slam for Youth Baseball (GSFYB) through the Going for the Fences program. GSFYB is a partnership between the Houston Astros and the makers of Minute Maid.
“TFA is very proud to add this project to our long list of civic contributions,” stated John Gamble, President of the Texas Fence Association. “Our members are always looking for ways to serve the community with high-quality work by professional fence industry personnel.”
“A new fence can make the difference in any ball park – even without any other improvements,” said Fred Arnold, GSFYB Manager from Minute Maid. “This new association with TFA will allow GSFYB’s field refurbishment program to extend beyond just one field per year.”
Hidalgo Park, located east of downtown near Houston’s Ship Channel, is the home of Magnolia Little League. Over the past few weeks, the Texas Fence Association installed new fencing and a backstop at the park to create a third baseball field on a plot of land which did not have a fence. Due to a high participation rate by its youth members, the Magnolia Little League had been using the land as a ball field without fences, which presented a safety hazard given its close proximity to the bordering streets.
Going for the Fences is part of the field refurbishment efforts of Grand Slam for Youth Baseball – a four-tiered community outreach effort that seeks to foster self-confidence, involvement, teamwork, and fun among area children. Each year, GSFYB selects a Houston-area youth field in the Houston area for a complete refurbishment based on applications submitted to the organization. In November, GSFYB announced that Bobby Beach Memorial Stadium in LaMarque was the third field to be selected for complete refurbishment. Any field (such as Hidalgo Park) that is nominated for the GSFYB complete refurbishment but is not selected is eligible for the Going for the Fences program.
About Grand Slam for Youth Baseball
Minute Maid and the Houston Astros teamed up in August 2002 to create Grand Slam for Youth Baseball, a community outreach program designed to make it easier for boys and girls to play, learn about and experience baseball.
The program, which seeks to foster self-confidence, involvement, teamwork and fun among area children, is composed of four key components:
1.) sponsorship of Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s Youth Baseball Program;
2.) refurbishment of one youth ball field a year;
3.) a baseball-related educational program; and
4.) a fundraising opportunity for youth baseball/softball teams and leagues.
For more information, log on to the Web site at http://www.gsfyb.com.
“Coca-Cola” and “Minute Maid” are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.
News issued by: Houston Astros
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Original Story ID: (199) :: 2005-03-0323-004
Original Keywords: Texas Fence Association, Houston Astros, Hidalgo Park, Grand Slam For Youth Baseball, Texas newswire, Houston news, Joe Turner, Magnolia Little League, Fred Arnold, Minute Maid, Carol Alvarado, Marian Harper, ribbon cutting, community outreach Houston Astros
NEWS SOURCE: Houston Astros | Published: 2005-03-23 15:05:00
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