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Community Newsletter - VOL 6, ISSUE 2 • September 2018
- 1. VOL 6, ISSUE 2 • SEPTEMBER COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER CELEBRATING $55 MILLION IN CHARITABLE GIVING ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS dbacks com/community CHAIRMAN KEN KENDRICK PRESIDENT MICHAEL KENNEDY VICE PRESIDENT DERRICK HALL TREASURER TOM HARRIS SECRETARY DEBBIE CASTALDO ADVISORS DEAN SHORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MARC ASHTON BRIAN R. BOOKER AMY COHN J. ERIC GUDIÑO GARRY HAYS DR. MICHAEL HILGERS CULLEN MAXEY BRAD NELSEN JIM SCUSSEL ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TAMMY BAKER DEBBIE CASTALDO MARK CAVANAUGH HAMILTON ESPINOSA LISA FACCIO VICKI FIORELLI TOM HATTEN MARC ISAACS JULIE JONES CHRISTINA MARTINEZ CULLEN MAXEY SHAWN MCCLAIN ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TOM MEEKS JUDD NORRIS PAUL ORTIZ MIKE REINA MICHAEL ROSS RACHEL SAHLMAN DENNIS SCULLY MAX SIRSTINS MO STEIN ROB VANDERHEI KERRI WHITE The alarm clock goes off at 6 am on a chilly spring Saturday, but you’ve already been awake for an hour, waiting for the first glimpse of daylight. Today is the day…FINALLY! Your new uniform is pressed and ready. Your glove has been carefully and methodically broken in since you first spotted it under the Christmas tree. Your bat has seen enough of the batting cage and is ready for action. It’s Opening Day! As you step out onto the pristine, freshly mowed turf, you think to yourself, “how was I lucky enough to get here, to be able play on this incredible field?” You take a deep breath, check the positions of your teammates and then hear the greatest two words in sports, “Play Ball!” The pitch is thrown and the first game on Paul Goldschmidt Field has begun! Since 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation has built or refurbished 41 baseball and softball fields throughout Arizona and has given thousands of boys and girls the opportunity to experience their own Opening Day dreams. The “Diamonds Back” field building program is one of many ways that the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation gives back to the community. I am fortunate to have been part of the fields design team since its inception, beginning with Matt Williams Field in 2000. The locations of the fields are determined through a grant process and the design and construction of the fields is a partnership of talented local contractors and businesses. With financial support from Arizona Public Service and Diamondback players, the design- build team turns dreams into reality, complete with new lights, electronic scoreboard, fencing, backstops and dugouts. As each field is completed, the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, D-Backs front office and the baseball player to whom the field is dedicated celebrate with a wonderful unveiling ceremony to the community. I have attended almost all of the dedications and best part is to see the kid’s eyes light up when they see the new field for the first time. With each new field dedication, a community comes together. Parents and children have a place to make new memories. Coaches will teach youngsters the importance of teamwork, good sportsmanship and comradery. It is truly a point of pride for the entire community. Another Foundation event that I am particularly proud of is the D-Backs Race Against Cancer. This annual springtime event includes a 5K race and a one-mile Family Fun Walk through the streets of downtown Phoenix, beginning and ending at Chase Field. Since its inception in 2013, this event has grown each year and has raised over $1,200,000 to benefit Arizona non-profit organizations that provide screening, treatment and support for those dealing with all types of cancer. Runners and walkers from the local community as well as across the country have said this event is one of their favorites. With sponsors like the University of Arizona Cancer Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Banana Boat as well as a huge corps of volunteers and corporate race teams, the D-Backs Race Against Cancer is quickly becoming one of the premier race events in the Valley of the Sun. As the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation celebrates more than $55 million in charitable giving in our 20th year, we continue to look for new ways to improve our communities throughout Arizona. The Foundation focuses its efforts on three main areas of need: homelessness, indigent healthcare and children’s programs of all types. In addition, the Foundation continues to create strategic programs that address the needs of our community including veterans, police, teachers, and firefighters - just to name a few. Sincerely, Tom Meeks Member, Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation Executive Council Senior Project Manager, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. Letter from TOM MEEKS CELEBRATING $55 MILLION IN CHARITABLE GIVING
- 2. dbacks com/communityPAGE 2 VOL 6, ISSUE 2 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 D-BACKS INTER-TRIBAL YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT AND NATIVE AMERICAN RECOGNITION DAY EVENT SPOTLIGHT D-BACKS INTER-TRIBAL YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT The D-backs hosted the 20th Annual Inter-Tribal Youth Baseball and Softball Invitational, recognizing the Native American community from May 31 – June 3. The games are played at Salt River Fields, the only complex built on tribal land. The tournament spans four days of morning and evening play, culminating with an exciting championship game held inside the stadium. This summer, more than 1,170 participants competed in the tournament, featured 78 teams, all traveled from five states - Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oklahoma. Since year one, there have been over 1,687 games played, with 899 teams and 13,485 players. A surprise visit by D-backs players always caps off the week for the athletes and this year was no different! Pitcher Brad Boxberger spent the day out at the fields with the baseball and softball players, teaming up with them in the dugouts, supporting them and sharing memories through the sport. With each year comes hope of celebrating a Major League debut of one of the Native American athletes. NATIVE AMERICAN RECOGNITION DAY, PRESENTED BY GILA RIVER HOTELS AND CASINOS On June 3, the D-backs hosted Native American Recognition Day, presented by Gila River Casinos. The festivities began when the gates opened and included performances throughout the ballpark – including one on the field – by performance groups including, Native American drum groups, dancers, vocalists, royalty and more. All participants from the Inter-Tribal Youth Baseball and Softball Invitational were recognized during a pre-game ceremony that included a parade around the warning track of the field. DBACKS TEAM PLAYER GIVEBACK EVENT Over 175 D-backs Employees spent several days at the new Valencia Newcomer School from July 9-11 to help prepare for the grand opening on August 8. The team moved furniture out, cleaned, painted and transformed classrooms into a haven for the students. A library and teacher’s lounge makeover, cafeteria and nurse’s area painted, creation and stocking of a new clothing closet, and a transformation of a classroom into an indoor PE room, equipped with paint and flooring and them some was all completed.
- 3. FREE CAR SEAT SAFETY CHECK – SUNDAY, APRIL 29 On April 29, the D-backs, Safelite AutoGlass, the Phoenix Fire Department, and the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety teamed up for a free car seat safety check in Laveen. Technicians were on hand to check car seats to make sure they were properly installed. Seats that did not meet safety requirements were replaced free of charge. BICYCLE GIVEAWAY AND SAFETY EVENT – FRIDAY, JUNE 15 On Friday, June 15 the D-backs and Safelite gave away free bikes and helmets to the members of the Boys and Girls Club Colangelo Branch. Once the kids received their bikes and helmets, Phoenix Fire and Phoenix Police instructed the kids in safety drills in an obstacle course. Infielder Ketel Marte took a whirl around the Bike Rodeo, which was impactful to the kids. DISCOUNT SWIM LESSONS The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and Safelite AutoGlass teamed up with the Phoenix Fire Department and City of Phoenix Aquatics to promote swim safety and expand access to swimming lessons for kids and adults! On top of normal pool hours in June and July, select City of Phoenix pools were open on weekends in August to offer expanded access to swim lessons for kids, teens, and adults. Lessons were available at numerous pools across the Phoenix area, with a limited amount of lessons offered for the discounted rate of only $3. UPCOMING PROGRAM – “BE A FRIEND” (BUDDY) BENCHES Every summer the D-backs partner with Safelite AutoGlass on a series of programs to support safety for children. Together the D-backs and Safelite have supported thousands of swimming lesson, car seats, new bikes and helmets, immunizations, smoke detectors and more. As parents and partners in the community, we recognize that cyberbullying and bullying are additional areas where children face tremendous risk. This year the D-backs and Safelite have teamed up with Be Kind People Project to deliver a thoughtful and positive message in schools across Arizona. In September and October, the D-backs, Safelite and Be Kind People Project will deliver twenty-five “Be A Friend” (Buddy) Benches to local schools. The “Be A Friend” benches are D-backs branded and funded by the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and Safelite. Each will come with materials that align with the Be Kind People Project messaging and encourage each school’s commitment to implement the program in alignment with the Be Kind Pledge. OFFI CI AL COM M U N I TY N EW SLETTER OF TH E ARI Z O NA D IAMO ND B ACK S dbacks com/community PAGE 3VOL 6, ISSUE 2 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT D-BACKS SAFELITE AUTOGLASS SUMMER OF SAFETY The D-backs and Safelite have stepped up to the plate again this summer to help keep kids safe through the D-backs and Safelite AutoGlass Summer of Safety Program. The program will focus on different areas of child safety including swim safety, bicycle safety, and anti-bullying. The program aims to keep kids in the game all summer long by raising awareness and providing valuable information, instruction, and resources to the community.
- 4. MYSTERY BALL Support the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation by purchasing a baseball signed by one of your D-backs favorites. Fans can make a $40 donation in exchange for a Mystery Ball box containing an autographed baseball signed by D-backs players, coaches and alumni. Funds raised benefit the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and are used to support youth sports and education initiatives. Mystery Ball sales begin when gates open at section 130. Quantities are limited. An additional 2018 Mystery Ball Date was added – Monday, September 17, D-backs vs. Cubs dbacks com/communityPAGE 4 VOL 6, ISSUE 2 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 OFFI CI AL COM M U N I TY N EW SLETTER OF TH E ARI Z O NA D IAMO ND B ACK S IN THE COMMUNITY D-BACKS GIVE BACK 50/50 RAFFLE The D-backs Give Back 50/50 Raffle, supported by Arizona Lottery, is available at every D-backs home game during the 2018 season. The charitable half of the jackpot benefits the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation to support youth baseball field development and sports outreach across the state of Arizona. Tickets are available for 3 for $5, 10 for $10 or 80 for $20 from roving sellers in the stands and at raffle kiosks located throughout the Chase Field concourse levels. Visit dbacks.com/raffle to learn more. D-BACKS AUTHENTICS D-backs Authentics offers a wide array of game-used jerseys, caps, helmets, baseballs, bases, bats and more. A portion of funds from D-backs Authentics sales benefit the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. Shop online at dbacks.com/authentics or visit the D-backs Authentics Store, located at Section 134 at Chase Field during any 2018 D-backs home game. HOW YOU CAN GIVE BACK Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation’s youth field-building program, supported by APS, dedicated the 40th and 41st Diamonds Back Fields this summer. First, in Douglas, Erubiel Durazo Field was dedicated. Just weeks after, the renovated Willie Bloomquist Field similarly represented a community investment in youth sports programs exceeding $10 million since its overall inception in 2000. As a part of Heroes Weekend, Luis Gonzalez visits Phoenix Fire Department and Phoenix Police Department as part of his foundation, Hometown Heroes. Gonzo’s Hometown Heroes Fund, benefits projects, programs and non-profit organizations that support Police Officers, Firefighters, and First Responders across Arizona. D-backs Players’ Wives host a Birthday Party at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. FIELD DEDICATION – ERUBIEL DURAZO, WILLIE BLOOMQUIST GONZO’S HOMETOWN HEROES FUND WIVES PROGRAM