Major League Baseball and the Miami Marlins announced today the contribution of more than $5 million towards the 2017 All-Star Legacy initiative to fund community improvement projects designed to leave a lasting impact throughout Greater Miami and beyond and support national charitable organizations.
This is the 20th anniversary of the All-Star Legacy program, which started in 1997 in connection to the Midsummer Classic in Cleveland. This year’s All-Star Legacy effort features the development of youth baseball and softball playing fields, Boys & Girls Club teen centers, an airport military hospitality lounge and a mobile eye unit. The various All-Star Legacy projects will be unveiled leading up to the 88th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.
More Than $5 Million to Local Projects and National Charities
MLB Charities, the Miami Marlins and the Marlins Foundation (a donor-advised fund of The Miami Foundation) plan to donate approximately $5 million, a significant portion of which will go toward the All-Star Legacy initiative. The donation also will support national charitable partners of Major League Baseball, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Jackie Robinson Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer, among others. The funds will be raised from Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 10th. Since 1997, MLB and host All-Star Clubs have donated approximately $80 million through the All-Star Legacy initiative.
2017 All-Star Legacy Projects
José Martí Park (Miami, FL) – This project will include a complete renovation and rededication of the field at José Martí Park. Renovations will include regarding the field to eliminate low spots, replacing the outfield grass with field turf, adding new high-efficiency sports lighting, and a drainage system to help facilitate weather-related delays. Additionally, all fencing and the backstop will be repaired with new vinyl coated fencing. Other improvements will include extending the dugout at both sides with roofs and new benches, installing bleachers with shade canopies, and the installation of an art component on the adjacent gymnasium building’s façade. The renovations could potentially result in an additional 1,000-3,000 youth players participating in baseball and softball programming at José Martí Park.
Charles Hadley Park (Miami, FL) – Upgrades to Charles Hadley Park will consist of a complete renovation of a baseball field, including replacing all fencing and the backstop with new vinyl coated fencing, installing new dugouts and re-grading the outfield turf. Additional improvements will include reconditioning the infield clay as well as the fabric along the first and third base lines. The project also will install concrete pads for the players’ protection as well as shade canopies for the bleacher areas.
• Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Mobile Eye Unit (Miami, FL) – Legacy funding will go toward a new mobile optometric unit, replacing an outdated, 14-year-old vehicle that has been in constant need of repair. The new unit will allow the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired to expand their much needed services of free eye examinations and glasses for eligible school children.
• Military Hospitality Lounge at Miami International Airport (Miami, FL) – Renovations will be made to the Military Hospitality Lounge at Miami International Airport, which provides hospitality services for active and former members of the Armed Forces and their families who are traveling. Plans for the lounge, which was in need of several aesthetic and functional upgrades/repairs, include a more efficiently-designed space as well as new furniture, appliances, flooring, signage and utility work.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade (Kendall Club, Miami, FL) – This project would encompass the renovation and expansion of the existing Teen Center at the Kendall Club of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade to include the following: removing the existing flooring, lighting, lay-in ceiling and HVAC equipment in the current study lounge/game room and entry area, removing the wall and door inside the entry area. Additional space renovations include installation of the new HVAC system, flooring and lighting as well as recoating the roofing on the exterior, upgrading furniture, enabling telephone/cable and Wi-Fi service, cosmetic upgrades (interior and exterior painting), and creating an outdoor space adjacent to the Teen Center with an art component. The renovation and expansion is expected to increase the number of children served daily from 20 to as many as 100 teens per day, a potential 400% increase.
• Boys & Girls Club of Broward County (Leo Goodwin Teen Center, North Lauderdale, FL) – This project will involve renovations to the Leo Goodwin Teen Center facility of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. The scope of the project includes improvements to the computer lab, including new computer desks, tables, lab chairs, headphones as well as new gaming design software. Additional upgrades include those to the “college corner,” the club’s recording studio, and the game room and lounge areas, which will receive a new television and improved sound system, respectively. The lounge area also will receive a throw rug, lounge-style tables and chairs, wall shelving, wall décor and new curtains. Generally, the club will receive new gym doors, updated painting and new baseboards.
