On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, in partnership with Kershaw’s Challenge and the City of Compton, will host a groundbreaking ceremony at Gonzales Park to kick off construction of its largest Dodgers Dreamfields project to date.
Actor Anthony Anderson will serve as emcee of the event, and Clayton Kershaw, Compton Mayor Aja Brown and Ayo Robinson will join to celebrate the legacy of her grandfather, Jackie Robinson. The project, which was unveiled during Jackie Robinson Day ceremonies at Dodger Stadium last year, will commemorate the 100th birthday of the MLB icon.
“Jackie Robinson Day is always a special day in Los Angeles, and it’s hard to think of a better way to honor his legacy and celebrate his centennial birthday than by increasing access to youth baseball and softball in Compton,” Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation CEO Nichol Whiteman said at the time of announcing the renovation.
“The Gonzales Park Dodgers Dreamfields, renovating Jackie Robinson Stadium and building ‘Field 42,’ are large-scale projects, and we couldn’t do it without the support of Clayton and Ellen Kershaw and Kershaw’s Challenge. We’re grateful to have such amazing partners for this project, and look forward to continued joint ventures in the future.”
The venture is the third Dodgers Dreamfield location Clayton and Ellen Kershaw have supported. Through Kershaw’s Challenge, they previously partnered with the LADF on constructing the universally accessible field at Baldwin Hills Recreation Center and the 50th Dreamfield at Algin Sutton Recreation Center.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation sets the bar high for exceptional service to our city. We are proud to consider them our close friends and co-laborers in finding unique ways to reach underserved children and families,” the Kershaws said.
“The Dodgers Dreamfields program in particular aligns with our love for the game of baseball and our desire to see more kids engage in the opportunity. It is an honor to officially join hands with LADF as one of our 2019 Kershaw’s Challenge beneficiaries. We believe in their work and we love their team. This year, Kershaw’s Challenge will seek to lead the charge on two new Dreamfields in the Compton area.
“We look forward to providing funding and exposure to the great work of LADF through these new fields. As we have seen with Kershaw’s Challenge for the past 10 seasons, it takes a village of like-minded organizations to create lasting change. We are thrilled to make this change happen with our friends at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation.”
The renovation of Jackie Robinson Stadium calls for upgrades to the field, outfield fence, dugouts, scoreboard, backstop, lighting, bathrooms/locker room facilities and spectator viewing areas.
The Dodgers Dreamfields at Gonzales Park will honor the Jackie Robinson family and revive baseball and softball play in the area among youth, as they grow and develop their skills throughout the years and advance from T-ball to high school and college athletics.
Specifically, “Field 42” is being designed for baseball and softball players ages 5-8, Rachel Robinson Field will be designed for baseball players ages 9-12 and softball players ages 9-18, and Jackie Robinson Stadium will be designed for baseball players ages 13+.
In addition, the project will include Fitness and Training Zones, named for Kershaw’s Challenge, complete with an outdoor training area, two enclosed batting cages and bullpens, an infield practice area and outdoor fitness equipment.
The Dreamfields at Gonzales Park will host LADF’s sports-based youth development program, Dodgers RBI and be the first set of fields to infuse STEM and LADF’s Science of Baseball curriculum, created with its grantee Science of Sports.
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