When Hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged Puerto Rico in 2017, they devastated community baseball programs across the island, shredding more than 300 fields where young people once played and world-class talent had long been nurtured.
Now, music icon Marc Anthony and Latin star Bad Bunny lead funding for a new program called Play Ball Again to help rebuild some of those damaged fields and facilitate local programming for 17,500 youth. Organizers hope to generate “an upward spiral of opportunity” for local residents that goes far beyond the dugout, according to Maurice A. Jones, president and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which created Play Ball Again and is coordinating development work on the ground.
“Sports and recreation activities help restore a sense of normalcy, in the wake of disasters,” explained Latin music icon Marc Anthony, whose Maestro Cares Foundation is among the program’s earliest supporters. “Baseball isn’t just a game in this context. It helps young people do better in school and improves family life and health in difficult circumstances.”
Maestro Cares teamed up with the Good Bunny Foundation and UNICEF USA to fund the first $300,000 of what LISC expects to be more than $1.6 million in field renovations. Cubs Charities joined the effort with an additional $100,000 in support, and the Kohler Company made a commitment to donate bathroom fixtures for onsite facilities.
All told, LISC anticipates funding will revitalize 25 fields, including sites in Vega Baja, Carolina, Yabucoa, Yauco, Utuado, Loíza, Caguas, and Casteñer. These communities represent a diverse geographic slice of Puerto Rico, encompassing some of the most concentrated numbers of youth players in rural areas, and those hardest hit by the hurricanes. Field repairs will augment larger community development work undertaken by LISC and local partners.
“Growing up on the island I spent a lot of time in some of these parks that are now destroyed,” noted Bad Bunny, whose San Juan-based Good Bunny Foundation is rallying support for the initiative. “In parks similar to these, a lot of great athletes like Roberto Clemente, Yadier Molina, Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez, and Ivan Rodriguez grew up. Our commitment is to rebuild these parks so that we can help new athletes grow. This is the first step for the rebirth of sports within the island,” he said.
Construction is underway on the first six fields, with renewed baseball programming in process as well.
“At UNICEF, we believe that play is the right of every child, and sport is a powerful tool that can build community and bring people together,” said Caryl M. Stern, president & CEO, UNICEF USA. “We are incredibly grateful for the support of partners like LISC, Maestro Cares and the Good Bunny Foundation. In rebuilding these fields, they are not only helping a community who has endured so much over the past two years, but also giving kids the chance to play and just be kids.”
“Two years after these devastating storms, the need to rebuild the island remains strong,” said Cubs infielder Javier Báez, whose family is from the Bayamón area. “Cubs Charities understood the need and has stepped up to the plate to help restore baseball fields and give kids throughout Puerto Rico the opportunity to play the game. This rebuild will make a big difference for the community, and I am proud to continue my efforts to restore the island.”
LISC has been working with a range of organizations to identify priority fields and outline redevelopment plans with community members, including local groups like Little League Puerto Rico and PathStone, Enterprise Center, sports nonprofits like Pitch in for Baseball, and disaster relief organizations like All Hands and Hearts.
“After the storms, we were the forgotten, rural towns,” said Rafael Surillo Ruiz, mayor of Yabucoa, who teared up as he spoke about the future of local fields. “To have an icon of a park being built by the community, for the community, and supported by all these stakeholders—it means so much for the spirit of our city.”
LISC expects most of the field renovations will be completed in time for the 2020 baseball season.
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