Edmonton minor baseball group seeks field refurbishment funding

South Jasper Minor Baseball has been chosen as a recipient of the Jays Care Foundation Field of Dreams program.

The charitable arm of Canada’s lone major-league baseball team is giving one Edmonton minor organization funding to upgrade its playing fields.

The South Jasper Place Minor Baseball Association is one of 22 groups across Canada receiving the support this year from the Toronto Blue Jays, via its Jays Care Foundation’s Field of Dreams program.

The funding will help the group, which fields youth teams up to the U18 level, refurbish the Callingwood diamonds in west Edmonton.

Ken Hehr, a member of the baseball association’s executive, said that Jays Care will give the South Jasper Place group funding if the city and province match its contribution.

“We’re trying to get it turfed so it’s more playable and more accessible for all our individuals that play baseball here,” he told CTV News Edmonton on Monday.

In total, Jays Care is giving more than $2.6 million to the organizations. Through Field of Dreams, the foundation has given more than $24 million to 262 projects since it started the program in 2000.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Dave Mitchell