AUBURN GRESHAM — Eight Chicago baseball programs including Perspectives Charter Schools in Auburn Gresham and the South Side Little League in Chatham will receive a Diamond Project grant from the Cubs Charities totaling $330,000.
Perspectives, 8131 S. May St., and the South Side Little League, 501 E. 90th Place, will each receive $20,000 for upgrades to their programs.
According to Vinay Mullick, athletic director for Perspectives, the school plans to use the grant for indoor training facilities, such as installation of an indoor batting cage, two pitching machines, a pitcher’s protective screen and an indoor practice mound.
"This [indoor battling cage] will be a huge improvement for us considering we don't have an indoor facility for the baseball and softball teams," said Mullick. "We are suppose to have a conference call next week with the Cubs and should find out then when we will actually receive the money. It is my goal to have the upgrades in place by March when our baseball season starts."
Officials with the South Side Little League said it would use the grant for general field and stadium support, such as benches, dugouts, resurfacing the infields and extending one field.
The grants were created to improve the quality and safety of local baseball fields throughout the Chicago area, said Cubs Charities officials in a statement.
“The Diamond Project is a great step forward in our mission to increase access to sports and improve health and fitness throughout Chicago,” said Laura Ricketts, chairman of the Cubs Charities. “The Cubs Charities Diamond Project seeks to address the shortage of clean, safe and accessible baseball fields in low and moderate-income neighborhoods. Our goal is to ensure all Chicago youth have the opportunity to pursue their love of baseball.”
A total of 15 baseball programs responded to a request for proposals, according to Keri Blackwell, deputy director of the nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation Chicago, which assisted the Cubs Charities in developing a program model for the first-ever grant program.
"After reviewing the proposals sent in we made recommendations to the Cubs as to which ones we thought met all the criteria," Blackwell said. "But the final decision was made by the Cubs."
Blackwell added that the Cubs Charities had already been devising the grant program prior to Jackie Robinson West winning the U.S. championship last month.
"I don't want people to think this program derived from the Jackie Robinson West success," said Blackwell. "It just so happens the program came out around the same time."
The other six baseball programs selected are Academy for Urban School Leadership in Chicago; Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council; Breakthrough Urban Ministries in East Garfield Park; Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation in partnership with Wells Academy High School; Friends of Alcott in Lincoln Park; and the Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club in North Center.
Cubs Charities officials said the goal of the Diamond Project is to expand opportunities for children to play baseball year-round, create or preserve green space in underserved neighborhoods, and to foster a love of baseball while responding to a shortage of playing fields.
"A thriving community is a healthy community and by improving these fields and facilities today, we are making a huge investment in our neighborhoods for tomorrow," said Susana Vasquez, executive director of LISC Chicago. "Athletic fields serve as tremendous community assets offering opportunities for recreation, education, sportsmanship, and relaxation."
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