Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation unveiled their latest completed project — Dodgers Dreamfields Nos. 61, 62 and 63 — with a special ceremony at Blair Park in San Bernardino, Calif.
Third base coach Dino Ebel, who attended San Bernardino Valley College, was among those on hand for the ribbon cutting and festivities. Ebel previously accompanied LADF chief executive officer Nichol Whiteman and additional staff members for the groundbreaking ceremony late last year.
“This is where it starts. Youngsters, take advantage of this. Come out here, get better, practice. Coaches, parents, mom dad, everybody that’s involved in this community, bring your kids here,” Ebel said from one of the refurbished baseball fields.
“It’s a safe place to practice, to get better, to meet new friends, to enjoy the game of baseball, softball, whatever you have on these fields.
“I guarantee you this. I said in December that I’d be back, and here I am today. When the lights come on and I’m home in the winter, I’ll take a drive over here and come watch the games of the youth with the community. I will be here. I promise you.”
This $1.7 million project is going to support youth ages 5-18 with three refurbished fields. Blair Park upgrades include new playing surfaces and grass, enclosed fields, upgraded dugouts, upgraded irrigation systems, new pitchers’ mounds, bullpens and LED scoreboards resembling Dodger Stadium.
“We know that here in the city of San Bernardino alone, 30,000 youth will have an opportunity to have access to this park,” Whiteman said.
“There are fewer parks per mile here in the city of San Bernardino, and it’s a real joy to be able to bring more park space, more community pride and more green space.”
After the unveiling, roughly 100 baseball and softball players participated in a skills clinic that was led by the Dodgers Training Academy.
“We’re really excited they’re going to be able to utilize the field for the first time,” Whiteman added.
Dodgers Dreamfields at Blair Park were made possible through a nearly $1.3 million grant from LADF lead partner San Manuel Mission Band of Indians. The amount represents the largest gift for a Dodgers Dreamfield project to date.
Dodgers Dreamfields goal
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation continues to make progress toward their goal of constructing 75 Dodgers Dreamfields by 2033 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the team moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles ahead of the the 1958 season.
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