PIFBS Disaster Relief Fund

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