Kingston Thunder receive grant from Jays Care foundation – Kingston | 24CA News

Players, dad and mom and league officers for Kingston Thunder baseball gathered Sunday and cheered when the Toronto Blue Jays got here on the TV to battle the Seattle Mariners.

There was a loud cheer, not for what the Jays did on the sector, however quite off the sector.

Before first pitch at Rogers Centre in Toronto, it was introduced that Kingston was one in every of various cities which have acquired a grant to go towards baseball locally.

“For this project, specifically, it’s just going to be a little bit more accessible for the special needs participants that we have,” mentioned Paul Held, Kingston Thunder’s rep director.

The grant, round $65,000 in keeping with Held, will go towards constructing a model new, absolutely accessible ball discipline within the metropolis’s west finish.

It will higher serve the contributors in Kingston Thunder’s “Challenger Program”, which provides children with disabilities the prospect to be taught and play baseball safely.

“I think it’ll be really cool, really cool. I think it’ll be really nice for us,” mentioned Justin Veenstra, a participant within the Challenger Program.

Held mentioned the sector might be constructed at Woodbine Park, on the positioning of the previous BMX observe, and that work may get finished in a short time if the whole lot goes to plan.

“Woodbine Park is a beautiful place to play ball in the summer, or soccer, or whatever you’re doing in the park and it will just bring the whole community together,” added Held.

The group within the Challenger Program is small, beneath 20 gamers proper now, however Veenstra and Held each mentioned they hope {that a} new discipline will entice extra children with disabilities to come back out and be taught the sport they love a lot.

“I hope that everyone gets to do it. If anyone else wanted to join, they’re always welcome to join us,” mentioned Veenstra.

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