Hanser Alberto, along with Evan Phillips and his wife Liz, were among those on hand to support the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) for a groundbreaking ceremony on Dreamfields at Edward Vincent Jr. Park in Inglewood, California.
Dodgers Dreamfields Nos. 59 and 60 are due to open in spring of 2023. They are the third such projects in the city of Inglewood, which is home to LADF chief executive officer Nichol Whiteman and had long been planned.
“Our vision is every Angeleno should have the opportunity to thrive, regardless of zip code,” Whiteman said in her opening remarks.
“With our Dodgers Dreamfields program, we build and refurbish baseball and softball fields in underserved communities in the greater Los Angeles area. These field provide a safe haven and a source of pride for families.
“With 58 fields built since 2003, we are so proud to have provided access for over 400,000 youth in the greater Los Angeles community. Today brings us one step closer to the goal of building and refurbishing 75 fields by the 75th anniversary of the Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this vital resource to Inglewood, a place I’m so proud to call home. Our love for the city keeps intensifying. In 2017, we dedicated two Dodgers Dreamfields at Darby Park. And as I stand here today, I’m glad our partnership continues to thrive and I’m so excited these two fields will bring immense impact to deserving youth and families in the city.
“This was actually supposed to be the first Dodgers Dreamfields project in the city of Inglewood. It will be unveiled in the spring of 2023, and we so very much are looking forward to coming back and doing that.”
The $1 million investment will include renovations to baseball and softball fields, upgraded irrigation, playing surfaces, fencing, and installation of scoreboards reminiscent of those at Dodger Stadium.
“The Dodgers have been here for a long time with us,” mayor James T. Butts said. “They want to do 75 fields, there are 88 cities in the county, they already did Darby Park and we’ll have two fields here. So we’ve gotten three out of the 75. We’re doing pretty good.”
Phillips hopeful for impact of Dodgers Dreamfields
The fields will support local youth from ages 5-18 and provide a safe place for families to gather and be active in their own neighborhoods. That was immediately evident to Phillips as he waited to speak.
“As I was sitting down listening, my eyes gazed behind this, and there’s a group of kids playing baseball,” Phillips said. “What’s most important to me with this event is it’s going to provide opportunities to all kinds of different kids to learn this game.
“It’s a game I love most, so I really do hope this has a great impact on the next generation.”
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