Starting today, the Scotts Company LLC (Scotts) and Major League Baseball (MLB) begin accepting submissions for the 2023 Scotts® Field Refurbishment Grant Program. Born from a desire to spread the joy and passion of the game, the program awards modern, playable youth baseball and softball field renovations to three communities in need across the country. Applications for this year’s program can be submitted until February 28 at MLB.com/ScottsField. To be considered for a grant, applying organizations must provide programming to youth in underserved communities within the US
From the submissions, three deserving organizations will be selected by a blue-ribbon panel, which includes representatives from Scotts and MLB, as well as former MLB players. Winners are scheduled to be announced in early spring with repairs and upgrades, totaling $50,000 for each field, being made soon thereafter. As part of each new field unveiling, Scotts and MLB plan to safely celebrate the renovations with community members and youth participants. The celebrations will feature PLAY BALLTM events as well as visits from local dignitaries and former players.
MLB and Scotts, a long-time league sponsor, began the Scotts Field Refurbishment Program in 2016. Throughout seven years of the initiative, the program has renovated 35 fields across 19 states, investing more than $2 million into the renovation of community fields. Scotts is also an official partner of MLB’s PLAY BALL initiative, a collective effort to encourage young people and communities to participate in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, events and casual forms of play.
The Scotts Field Refurbishment Program is part of ScottsMiracle-Gro’s larger GroMoreGood initiative to improve children’s health and well-being through increased connection to greenspaces. The enterprise-wide commitment from Scotts, which started in 2019, is on track to connect more than 10 million children to gardening and outdoor play by the end of 2023.
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