Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation, Twins Community Fund Building Field To Serve Youth With Disabilities

The Minnesota Twins Community Fund and the Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation, in partnership with Minnesota Utility Contractors Association (MUCA) and the City of Blaine, kicked off construction Aug. 19 for a new synthetic turf baseball field in Blaine serving youth with physical and mental disabilities.

Baseball Hall of Famer and Twins great Harmon Killebrew, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, Twins pitcher Kyle Lohse and Twins ownership representative were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony. "Everybody deserves a place to play baseball," said Gardenhire.

The custom-designed field will accommodate wheelchairs and other walking assistance devices, while helping prevent injuries. The field is being constructed with financial contributions of $130,000 from the Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation and $20,000 from the Minnesota Twins Community Fund. In-kind support, including heavy equipment and labor costs totaling more than $100,000, were donated by members of MUCA. The City of Blaine is donating land and will be responsible for field maintenance.

"This project is made possible by a tremendous collaboration from the public, private and nonprofit sectors," said Jeff Hanson, executive director of MUCA and a member of the Minnesota Twins Community Fund board of directors. "The result will be a one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art ball field in Minnesota giving special needs youth from around the region a unique opportunity to experience the joys of playing ball."

The field is scheduled for completion in the fall and will be available for play starting in the spring of 2006. The field will support the activities of The Miracle League, a charitable organization headquartered in Georgia with a Minnesota chapter. For more information, visit The Miracle League's Web site.

Related Link:

• 'Everybody deserves a place to play'
  Twinsbaseball.com

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