NEWS SOURCE: Houston Astros
City of Houston’s Hidalgo Park and Magnolia Little League to be the First Youth Field and Youth League Helped with Fencing Needs under the Program
HOUSTON, TX /Send2Press Newswire/ — Grand Slam for Youth Baseball (GSFYB), a partnership between the Houston Astros and the makers of Minute Maid, announced today a new program in conjunction with the Texas Fence Association – Going for the Fences. Under the new program, one youth ball field per year in the Houston area will receive new fencing and installation courtesy of the Texas Fence Association (TFA).
“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.”
The first field to be helped with its fencing needs under Going for the Fences will be the City of Houston’s Hidalgo Park, located east of downtown near Houston’s Ship Channel. The park is currently the home of the Magnolia Little League. During the month of February, the Texas Fence Association is slated to install new fencing and a backstop at the park to create a third baseball field on a plot of land which currently does not have a fence. Due to a high participation rate by its youth members, the Magnolia Little League has been using the land as a ball field without fences, which presents a safety hazard given its close proximity to the bordering streets.
Going for the Fences is part of the overall field refurbishment efforts of the Grand Slam for Youth Baseball program – a four-tiered community outreach effort that seeks to foster self-confidence, involvement, teamwork, and fun among area children. Each year, GSFYB selects a youth field in the Houston area for a complete refurbishment based on applications submitted to the organization. In November 2004, GSFYB announced that Bobby Beach Memorial Stadium, home to the La Marque/West Texas City Little League, 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 Texas Fence Association
The Texas Fence Association is one of 25 chapters in the American Fence Association (AFA). Serving North America, AFA is the primary voice for the fence industry with more than 1700 member companies representing thousands of fence professionals. Together with AFA, TFA and the other 24 chapters provide education, fellowship and up-to-date information for all members while giving back to local communities in the form of donated labor, materials and expertise for worthy projects.
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 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: (106) :: 2005-02-0217-001
Original Keywords: Houston Astros, Minute Maid, Grand Slam for Youth Baseball, The Texas Fence Association, TFA, GSFYB, Houston, Texas, Sports, Teens, Fencing, Stadium, Field Houston Astros
NEWS SOURCE: Houston Astros | Published: 2005-02-17 12:00:00
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