Roger Arrieta
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, in partnership with the LA84 Foundation and the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation dedicated its 31st Dodgers Dreamfield at Roy Campanella Park. Renata Simril, Senior Vice President External Affairs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Nichol Whiteman, Executive Director, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Second District, Patrick Escobar, Vice President, Grants and Programs, LA84 Foundation, John Wicker, Chief Deputy Director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation and Joni Campanella Roan attended the event.
The Dreamfield dedication consisted of a brief program emceed by Dodger Broadcaster Jorge Jarrín followed by a one-hour long youth baseball clinic led by Dodger alumni Derrel Thomas, Dennis Powell, Wes Parker and “Sweet” Lou Johnson. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment provided each youngster with The Sandlot 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray + DVD Combo and T-shirt.
“Our family is honored that our father’s legacy will continue to live on through the park by providing inner city youth a place to play baseball. Dad always said to the play the game you have to have a little kid in you,” said Joni Campanella Roan. “He would be thrilled to know the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation has revitalized this park to become a Dodgers Dreamfield where kids can come to play, have fun, learn sportsmanship, teamwork and develop his love for baseball.”
“Our commitment to building 50 Dodger Dreamfields ensures a consistent focus on inclusion, preservation and promotion of sports in underserved communities,” said Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Executive Director Nichol Whiteman. “Dreamfields not only provide a space to play baseball and softball and keep our kids active, they contribute to community development, build character and instill important life lessons in our youth.”
“The LA84 Foundation is pleased to have partnered with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation to bring a beautiful Dodgers Dreamfield to Roy Campanella Park,”said Patrick Escobar LA84 Vice President of Grants & Programs. “Roy Campanella was a great baseball player who through his talent, dedication and grit ignored the naysayers and beat adversity in the field of play and out. It is our hope that this field will inspire young people to do their best in baseball and to succeed in all their pursuits”
“I applaud the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation for investing in this community and for ensuring that our children have a high quality field where many dreams will be made and many positive values will be instilled,” added Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
“Providing healthy recreational opportunities is at the heart of our mission, and we are so grateful to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and the LA84 Foundation for this partnership and their commitment to young people in our communities,” said Chief Deputy Director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation John Wicker. “Participating in sports helps build character in individuals and camaraderie in neighborhoods, and the solar-powered scoreboard for the new Dreamfield at Roy Campanella Park will be a welcome reminder of important principles of environmental stewardship that are essential to everyone’s future.”
“The Sandlot is one of those cinematic gems whose classic lines and iconic characters continue to resonate with and inspire fans young and old,” said Mary Daily, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Worldwide Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. “This summer we’ve traveled the country in partnership with Major League ballparks to help restore sandlots in their communities and we’re excited to cement this beloved film’s 20th anniversary with our hometown team the Los Angeles Dodgers.”
Roy Campanella Park’s field includes newly restored backstop and fencing, newly painted posts and rails, new dugout roofs and outfield fence, a renovated infield surface with laser grading and new infield mix, new bases, amended infield and outfield radius to establish a uniform perimeter edge, laser grade and prep outfield for new sod, a renovated irrigation system and new solar scoreboard and signage.
About the LA84 Foundation
The LA84 Foundation was established to manage Southern California’s share of the surplus from the successful 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The Foundation received $93 million at its inception. Since it began operations in 1985, it has invested $214 million in sports programs serving more than 3 million youth in the eight Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The Foundation provides grants to youth sports organizations, manages programs, including a coaching education program, and convenes numerous forums for the exploration of the most pressing issues in sport. For more information, please visit www.LA84.org.
About the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation
The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation provides the residents and visitors of Los Angeles County with quality recreational opportunities that promote a healthy lifestyle and strengthen the community through diverse physical, educational and cultural programming. The Department also enhances the community environment by acquiring, developing and maintaining 174 County parks, gardens, golf courses, trails and open space areas. Parks Make Life Better! Follow the department on Twitter at http://twitter.com.lacountyparks on Facebook at http://facebook.com/parks.lacounty.gov and on the web at http://parks.lacounty.gov
About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programing. Each year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray™ and DigitalHD™. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.
