The Toronto Blue Jays may not ever get to Pond Inlet anytime soon but a piece of the team will be around in the community for years to come.
The Jays Care Foundation, the Blue Jays' charitable organization, announced on April 14 that Pond Inlet was one of 15 communities around Canada to receive a grant through the foundation's Field of Dreams program. A total of $150,000 will be allocated to the community to help refurbish the baseball diamond.
Robert Witchel, the foundation's executive director, said it's not the first time there's been a grant North of 60 but Pond Inlet's is certainly the Northern-most.
SA国际影视传媒淲e did Whitehorse last year SA国际影视传媒� the Kwanlin Dun First Nation SA国际影视传媒� but this is the first one in Nunavut and the furthest North.SA国际影视传媒�
The application process to receive a grant is done in two steps, beginning with a simple application. From there, the applications are short-listed and then the work really begins.
SA国际影视传媒淲e had about 60 applications this year and from that, we narrowed it down to 20,SA国际影视传媒� said Witchel. SA国际影视传媒淭he second part of the process involved getting us the quotes and pricing, who owns the land where the field is located, how much municipal support there is, the impact it will have on the community, how many kids will benefit from this and a general idea of the demographics of the community.SA国际影视传媒�
When it comes to Pond Inlet, the grant will cover almost everything needed to get the field back in good working order, he added.
SA国际影视传媒淥ur contribution will go toward the turf installation and it's artificial because it's tough to grow natural grass in Pond Inlet,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭here will be bleachers, benches, dugouts and a gravel-based drainage system.SA国际影视传媒�
There is also a provision to fly people up to the community to help put everything together, he said.
The foundation has been working with the Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut's (RPAN) Get Happy Summer Day Camp program for the past three years and will do so again this coming summer.
Dawn Currie, RPAN's executive director, said she encouraged all of the communities involved with the day camp program to apply for a grant and when she heard Pond Inlet was in the running, the ears began to perk up.
SA国际影视传媒淚 knew they were up there as a finalist in January,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he Blue Jays told me they had a really strong application and our involvement was a big reason why.SA国际影视传媒�
Currie then learned Pond Inlet would receive a grant but what she didn't know was the amount.
She said she found out like everyone else did on April 14.
SA国际影视传媒淚 knew they would be getting something.SA国际影视传媒�
Once everything is done with the field, it will look SA国际影视传媒� and probably feel SA国际影视传媒� a lot better than the old field as Currie said.
SA国际影视传媒淥ne Ocean Expeditions is one of our partners with RPAN and they had a cruise ship dock in Pond Inlet last summer,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淥ne of the things the passengers wanted to do was play a game of baseball once they saw the field. The diamond was in pretty rough shape but they worked with it and did the best they could.SA国际影视传媒�
With this grant, Currie said she hopes more communities will put their names forward and possibly get what Pond Inlet got.
SA国际影视传媒淛ays Care provides millions of dollars for small communities through baseball,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚t takes time to get the proposal together but it pays off because Pond Inlet is going to have a great ball field once everything is completed.SA国际影视传媒�
