HARLEYSVILLE, PA – November 12, 2020 – Pitch In For Baseball & Softball (PIFBS) will be hosting a drive-through event on Saturday, November 14th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., where Philadelphia-area schools who were approved for an equipment grant will receive their baseball and softball equipment packages at the PIFBS facility in Harleysville, PA.
The event will serve to distribute equipment to 75 teams, benefitting approximately 1,300 children ages 11-18 across the Philadelphia area. Nearly $100,000 worth of gear will be distributed, including baseballs, BBCOR bats, catchers gear, gloves, and team bags.
Equipment grants were originally scheduled for distribution in March, before schools were forced to cancel their 2020 seasons due to COVID-19. The equipment will now assist area schools in restarting their baseball and softball programs in 2021. The availability of additional gear will help ensure safety, limiting the need for students to share team equipment.
“With new guidelines in place for return to play, many teams are struggling to meet the equipment needs for safe play,” said Meredith Kim, CEO of PIFBS. “Positive outlets for kids are even more important now in light of the challenges created by COVID-19, and we’re committed to helping these teams ensure that a lack of equipment is never a barrier for kids to play ball.”
PIFBS’ Philadelphia School Based Program was established in 2008, and was funded this year by the Philadelphia Phillies and Springfield Rotary. Over the past six years, the program has helped more than 5,000 boys and girls participate on their school baseball and softball teams, and their investment in sports has carried over to the classroom.
From 2014-19, approximately 73% of student athletes involved in these programs showed improvements in their school attendance, and 72% improved their academic scores.
Founded in 2005, Pitch In For Baseball & Softball has donated more than $10 million worth of equipment to 900,000+ kids across every state in the U.S. and 100 countries.