Disaster Response United States Project #61377

PIFBS Disaster Relief Fund

by Pitch In For Baseball & Softball

Project Report | Nov 1, 2024
PIFBS prepares for large-scale needs in 2025

By Meredith Kim | CEO

Despite were numerous small-scale natural disasters in the first three quarters of 2024, PIFBS only received one grant request since the last report.

The field complexes for Brazoria Little League in Brazoria, TX were badly damaged in Hurricane Baryl over the summer. In addition to losing all of the team equipment, the facilities were devastated and in need of extensive rebuilding. The League President shared this: "On field 1 the wind blew the fence and foul posts over, also 1 of the dugouts was broke in half and flipped on its top. On field 2 both roofs on both dugouts are damaged and in need of replacing. On field 3 a tree fell on the fence and crushed it. Two light poles were also snapped off on that field as well. A tree fell on our batting cages and our power pole snapping it off at the ground. We lost all refrigerated and frozen foods in concession."

Despite this, the community was committed to having a fall season.Pitch In For Baseball & Softball was able to provide an equipment grant of just under $2,000 in equipment to replace catchers gear, training aids, equipment bags, helmets, and other core equipment. By donating this equipment, PIFBS is helping to reduce costs so that Brazoria Little League can direct limited resources to other areas in need of improvement.

While the past several months may have experienced a lull, the recent hurricanes in the Florida and North Carolina left tragic devastation in their wakes with many families losing everything. PIFBS has begun to collect applications and has reached out to key partners Little League International and Major League Baseball's Youth Development team to assess the needs and dollars required to ensure that kids get to enjoy their spring 2025 seasons. PIFBS is also working with manufacturing partners to gather resources to direct to leagues and communities in need. We have already received an influx of applications and given the magnitude of the damages and losses, we are anticipating to raise $50,000 in order to have the greatest impact.

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Jun 4, 2024
Keeping Kids on the Field

By Meredith Kim | CEO

While there unfortunately does not seem to be a shortage with weather and natural disasters, Pitch In For Baseball & Softball has not received many equipment grant applications from communities impacted by a natural disaster this year to date. However, PIFBS did receive and process one Disaster Relief application from Indian Lake Ball Association in Ohio.

On March 14, 2024 at approximately 7:30pm an F3 tornado ripped through the small area of Indian Lake. A close-knit community comprised of residents residing in Lakeview, Russells Point, Huntsville and Lewistown. It came in with the strength to completely level hundreds of homes and cause great destruction to hundreds more. Unfortunately, our 2 fields in Lakeview did not survive the damage. Indian Lake was in the direct path of this 1/2 mile wide monster that stayed on the ground for just over 30 miles. What the league lost was small in comparison to the 3 people who died and the countless children who feared for their lives and are now traumatized by something as simple as dark skies. But what the losses affect those children too. Those fields had lights that we used for night games and a fully stocked concession and equipment room. They are now completely demolished and being used as a dumping and shredding site for tornado debris. While they do have other fields to use, two of the locations will require a complete restocking of concessions and equipment.

The entire building that housed concessions and equipment room was blown away. Literally not even a wall standing. Indian Lake lost all of their equipment, totaling more than $15,000. Pitch In For Baseball & Softball provided a grant to help rebuild the league so that the kids could still have a semblance of a spring season.

Their report will be due over the summer and we will be sure to provide an update!

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Jan 8, 2024
Pitch In For Baseball & Softball Closes Out a Record Year and Looks Ahead to 2024

By Michael Moran | Director of Strategic Partnerships

In 2023, Pitch In For Baseball & Softball donated over 225,000 pieces of equipment to over 1,200 youth groups around the world. This equates to over 200,000 children receiving the equipment they needed to play ball. Despite these efforts however, equipment remains the number one reason why kids cannot play ball. Whether they have been affected by a natural disaster, or simply do not have the means to purchase equipment, children around the world are constantly turned away due to an inability to access the proper gear. For this reason, it is critical for us to continue our work to ensure no child is ever turned away due to not having the right equipment to play.

Coming off of a few years full of various natural disasters, overall, 2023 was thankfully a lighter year for our disaster response efforts. One group this year however, Amory High School in Mississippi, did need help to ensure they would be able to play their season following a natural disaster. In late March 2023, Amory, Mississippi was struck by a devastating tornado. This tornado brought unprecedented damage to the town, including their local high school. The school saw significant damage from the storm with portions of their roof being ripped off. This devastation, however, was not enough to stop the Amory High School baseball team from competing last season. With their field being destroyed and their equipment ruined, they called PIFBS and Wilson Sporting Goods to provide an equipment grant so they could continue their season. Wilson Sporting Goods and PIFBS donated over $5,000 worth of gear to restore their program and get their kids back out on the diamond. Against all odds, the team went on to win the state championship! The resiliency of this group is an example of the power baseball and softball have to bring communities together to momentarily escape the hardships they are facing.

Even though 2023 was not as filled with natural disasters as years past, we would be doing ourselves and the kids we serve a disservice by not preparing for what may come in the future. In other words, it is critical for us to continue to build reserves of equipment to ensure we can efficiently and effectively respond to natural disasters when they occur. It is our goal to get kids back out on the diamond as soon as possible following natural disasters, and we need your help to make that possible. We are looking forward to all we will achieve together in 2024 as we continue to eliminate equipment as a barrier to play.

Links:

Learn More About the History of Our Disaster Relief Program

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