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HomeMy WebLinkAboutR.J. McElroy Trust-Grant Application-11.10.2008 Page 1 of 2 //'/D - o R.J. MCELROY TRUST GRANT APPLICATION Application �bb� Application is for_grants requests$15,000 and less Requests over$15,000 must be submitted in proposed form, please see our guidelines at www.mcelroytrustorq DO NOT SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION UNTIL YOU HAVE TALKED TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TRUST Date: November 11, 2008 Organization/Agency Requesting Funding: City of Waterloo Leisure Services Project: Baseball 101/Baseball 201/Summer Sandlot League Fed. Tax ID# 42-6005327 Address: 1101 Campbell Avenue City: Waterloo State: IA Zip: 50701 Contact Person and Title: Mark Gallagher, Sports Manager Telephone: 319/291/4370 Fax: 319/291/4297 E-mail: mark.gallagher@waterloo-ia.org Annual Amount Requesting: $8,000.00 Total Project Budget: $14,255.00 Total Agency Budget: $3,172,147.00 Timeframe for Project: March 2009-July 2009 Preferred payment date: February, 2009 Type of Request: xNew Program/Project D General Operations Support 0 Capital 0 Equipment/Materials OOngoing Support 0Other: I. Organization A. Briefly describe the purpose of your organization: The City of Waterloo's Leisure Services Commission is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens by providing the best possible recreational activities, special events, facilities and services that encourage lifelong learning, fitness and fun. The Commission strives to provide an enjoyable outdoor environment with top quality parks, preserves, golf courses and a healthy urban forest resource. B. Organization's utilization of volunteers. 1. Number of volunteers annually: 200-250 2. How are these volunteers utilized? The Leisure Services Department could not survive without the extensive use of volunteers. During the last fiscal year over 200 volunteers dedicated over 10,000 volunteer hours. The Kiwanis Club volunteers for the Katoski-Kiwanis Pee Wee Golf Classic and the Mayor's Downtown Fun Run. The Metropolitan Tennis Association and a group of high school tennis players volunteer each spring to pick up litter and rake the grounds in preparation of the tennis season. The Gates Park Optimist Club volunteers in assisting with our popular Hershey Track Meet every May. As every sports season rolls around we recruit numerous volunteer coaches to lead our young sports teams. Our department also co-sponsors a number of youth sports tournaments with various volunteer sports organizations throughout the calendar year. Simply put, we would not be able to offer affordable recreational programming without these critical volunteers. II. Project A. Describe the Community Need/Problem being addressed by this project. Bob Hellman, from Hellman Design, spearheaded efforts to build a top of the line youth baseball/softball field at the Walter Cunningham School for Excellence. Construction on the field is complete and the field hosted a few games at the end of the 2008 baseball season. Over the past decade the number of minority children participating in youth baseball/softball programming has been stagnant. Our department has made numerous recruiting efforts to encourage more minority participation in these programs. The problem we have found is that only a few of these children have parents that grew up playing baseball/softball in the Cedar Valley, therefore they do not have an adult at home to assist them with instruction of the basic skills of the sport. We also know that children generally have the need to fit in to activities. If they do not have the same skills (and often times same level of equipment)as counterparts in a sport, they will tend to shy away from that sport. That is where this program would fit in. There is newfound excitement about baseball & softball in this neighborhood due to the construction of the new field. In 2008 we offered the Baseball 101 program at Cunningham School and had great success. Our goal this year is to recruit more participants and retain a higher percentage throughout the season and into the future. The timing is definitely right to offer an introductory program and league for some students of this school to engage them in this safe and structured recreational activity for years to come. B. Project Description. 1. Briefly describe the project. This program would be a collaboration of our department, the Walter Cunningham School for Excellence staff and the Boys and Girls Club of Black Hawk County. The 2009 program will have a much broader reach than the 2008 version. First, you will notice that we are partnering with the Boys and Girls Club. This will benefit the program in two ways. One, the Boys and Girls Club has access to a great number of children that have never been exposed to the game of baseball. Two, the Boys and Girls Club was a 2008 recipient of a Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Baseball Equipment grant, which means the Boys and Girls Club has baseball equipment available for the participants. This program would have three components. 1) Baseball 101 (2"d-5th grades) This program would be offered during Spring Break at the Boys and Girls Club (and Hellman Field-weather permitting) for new participants. The program would meet for 4 hours/day (2 hours for each age group) for one week. Participants would spend the week learning the basic skills and techniques of the game of baseball. Participants in this program would utilize baseball equipment currently owned by the Boys and Girls Club through the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Grant. Each child in this program would receive a program tee shirt and baseball cleats. Participants in this program will be given the opportunity to participate in the Waterloo Leisure Services Optimist Baseball Program ($55.00 value) held in the evenings and/or the brand new Summer Sandlot League held in the morning at Hellman Field throughout the summer. 2) Baseball 201 (3`d-6th grades) This program would be offered during Spring Break at the Walter Cunningham School for Excellence for all of the participants in last years Baseball 101 program. During this program we would continue to build on the skills the participants learned during last year's Baseball 101 program and throughout their 2008 baseball season. Participants in this program would receive a program tee-shirt and the opportunity to participate in the Waterloo Leisure Services Optimist Baseball Program ($55.00 value) held in the evenings and/or the brand new Summer Sandlot League held in the morning at Hellman Field throughout the summer. 3) Summer Sandlot League (3`d-6th grades) This program would be offered at the Walter Cunningham School for Excellence in cooperation with the Boys and Girls Club. All participants in this league will be Boys and Girls Club members and participants of either Baseball 101 or Baseball 201. This league would be held twice/week in the morning at Hellman Field. Children would be transported from the Boys and Girls Club to Hellman Field each morning after breakfast and would be back to the Club in time for lunch. As part of this league each player would receive a full uniform, excellent instruction and the opportunity to play in real games. We would conclude the program with a championship game under the lights at Hellman Field. We are very excited about the opportunity to offer the children another league opportunity throughout the summer. While we had a good percentage of last year's Baseball 101 participants take part in our Optimist Baseball program we know that a number of the kids were not able to participate in the Optimist Baseball program due to transportation issues. With this new look we will still give the children the option to participate in the Optimist Baseball League, but children with transportation issued will have a different and viable option to participate in a baseball league. Ideally we will see a good number of kids play in the Summer Sandlot League in the mornings and in the Optimist Baseball League in the evenings. We would like to have some funding to allow us to purchase gloves and bat bags for the Baseball 101 kids that chose to participate in the Optimist Baseball league. We would also plan to keep a limited amount of funds to replenish any equipment needs for the 2008 Baseball 101 participants (for example if a child grew out of their cleats). 2. Describe expected outcomes. (How will you know if the project has been successful?) • Improve the talent level of participants • Keep children engaged throughout the summer • Improve self esteem of children with improved skill levels • Meet new friends from throughout the Cedar Valley(teams are drafted, not assigned) • Learn teamwork • More program opportunities during the school year(Boys and Girls Club membership) C. Targeted Population. 1. Number of youth to be served: 100 Age Group: Ages 7-12 2. Number of Adults: NA 3. Geographic Area: primarily Cunningham School Neighborhood D. Briefly describe how this project addresses Cedar Valley's Promise (if the project is a youth program located in Black Hawk County), and Opportunity Works Strategic Plan(s) (if the project is located in Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Grundy or Tama county, or the Mesquakie Nation). See Metro Funders website for information on these strategic plans. This project addresses all five of the Cedar Valley's Promise's five central promises at some level. • Caring Adults Instructors in the program will serve as positive role models to participants. Their volunteer coaches will also serve as role models throughout the summer. • Safe Places This program will give the students safe places to participate in structured recreation activities during the spring intersession and throughout the summer months. • A Healthy Start Participation in the program will encourage the children to participate in fairly strenuous athletic activity for years to come. The Boys and Girls Club is also a location for the Waterloo Community Schools summer meal program. Participants in the Summer Sandlot Program will be assured a healthy breakfast and lunch. • Marketable Skills As with all sports, there are numerous skills and lessons learned throughout participation. Children learn the value of teamwork, practice, work ethic, and honesty. • Opportunities to Serve All participants in the youth baseball and softball program are required to assist the local Optimist Club with their annual fundraiser. III. Financial Information. A. How will the funds you are requesting be used? Funding received from the McElroy Trust would be used to fund part time staff and the equipment that will be given to participants that complete the program. B. Other Funding Requests. Please list all other sources you are requesting funding from, the amount you are requesting and if funding has been approved. Please include general fundraising activity and in-kind services information. The Waterloo Schools have agreed to supply the gymnasium space at no cost and the City of Waterloo will pay all full time staff costs, the cost of all clinic equipment and any Optimist Baseball registration fees. The Boys and Girls Club has agreed to offer free gymnasium space as well as free transportation for the Summer Sandlot League participants to and from Hellman Field. The Boys and Girls Club will also assist any non-members with the $10 annual membership fee to the Club. A local sporting goods dealer has assured us of below cost pricing on all equipment items. Bob Hellman from Hellman Design has also agreed to partner with $1,000 towards equipment and purchasing the program tee-shirts. C. .Plans for On-Going Funding. We plan to evaluate this program after 2009 prior to addressing funding for the future. WATERLOO LEISURE SERVICES "Baseball/Softball 101/Baseball 201/Summer Sandlot League" Grant expenses Part Time Staff 4,500 Uniforms 2,000 Players Gear 2,000 Awards/Recognition 500 9,000 9,000 in-Kind Expenses Optimist League Registration fees 2,200 Full Time Staff 3 @ $18.00/hour x 30 hours 1,620 Gym Rental 25 hours @ $35/hour 875 Transportation $40/trip @ 14 trips 560 5,255 5.255 Total Program Cost 14,255