LINCOLN SQUARE — Score it a double for Friends of Amundsen.
The non-profit group nabbed a $100,000 grant through Cubs Charities Diamond Project that will not only benefit athletics at the high school but anyone who plays ball at Winnemac Park.
The money will be used to rebuild the park's southeast ball diamond, situated at the corner of Damen and Argyle, adjacent to Amundsen's campus and just a couple of miles from Wrigley Field.
"A pillar of the Cubs mission is to be a good neighbor. The Diamond Project advances that goal by providing opportunities for neighborhood children to play on safe and accessible fields," Mike Lufrano, Chicago Cubs executive vice president, said in a statement.
"Cubs Charities is excited to see our neighbors playing the game we all love at refurbished fields at Winnemac," he said.
Winnemac Park's diamonds are used by Amundsen's baseball and softball teams as well as various neighborhood youth leagues, including the Welles Park Parent Association.
Stephen Reynolds, a founder of Friends of Amundsen and broker of the Welles-Winnemac Park partnership, helped secure the Diamond Project grant.
He said he intends to apply for additional grants in successive years in order to give all of Winnemac's diamonds a facelift.
The Diamond Project debuted in 2014 and awards grants to improve baseball fields and facilities across the city.
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