‘FIELD OF DREAMS’ BECOMES REALITY AS VARIETY UNVEILS NEW, ACCESSIBLE BASEBALL DIAMOND

TORONTO, Ont. – On August 5, 2022, Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ontario (VCCO) commonly known as Variety Village and Jays Care Foundation will come together to host the official unveiling of Variety Village’s Field Of Dreams. The new baseball diamond, built in Variety Village’s courtyard, will serve as a training area for children of all abilities to learn about the fundamentals of the game of baseball. Construction of this diamond was made possible by a $100,000 donation from Jays Care Foundation with their partner TD. The local community and media are invited to join the official unveiling on August 5th, 2022.

Guests will arrive at 10:30am and shortly following, Variety President and CEO Karen Stintz, Director of Access and Awareness Archie Allison, and Executive Director of Jays Care Robert Witchel will each address the audience. After their words, there will be a ceremonial first pitch and ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:05am, followed by a campers’ t-ball game and barbeque. The addition of the accessible baseball diamond is an essential improvement to Variety Village allowing us to add a new offering to our community. President and CEO Karen Stintz commented on what the new baseball diamond will bring to Variety Village.

“Today’s exciting first pitch and the grand opening of the Variety Field Of Dreams means that Variety will now be able to provide kids with disabilities a new accessible and inclusive baseball field courtesy of our friends at the Jays Care Foundation,” said Stintz. “Now we have a fully accessible playing surface, right here at the Village, helping kids further develop life skills, access sport and recreation, and most importantly, meet and make new friends. Game on!”

The unveiling of the Field Of Dreams comes shortly following the opening of Roy Halladay Field on July 13, 2022, the first accessible baseball field built in Toronto by Jays Care Foundation. Variety was honoured to be present and to have our campers play in the inaugural Challenger Baseball game which took place. Delivering accessible baseball programming aligns with Variety Village’s core goals and that is why it is exciting to open the Field Of Dreams so soon after. Executive Director of the Jays Care Foundation Robert Witchel commented on the opening of the new field at Variety Village.

”Jays Care Foundation is pleased to partner with Variety Village on yet another exciting project, the Variety Village Field Of Dreams. We hope this inclusive, accessible space will help us in our mission to level the playing field and inspire more children and youth to participate in organized sport,” said Witchel. “Just weeks after opening the nearby Roy Halladay Field, we are thrilled to help create new opportunities for children of all abilities to learn life skills, make friends and enjoy the game of baseball.”

Variety’s partnership and history with Jays Care extends back to the foundation’s inception.

Children of all abilities will benefit from our new baseball diamond. Variety is partnered with Jays Care on the pathway to growing accessible baseball and the Field Of Dreams is going to help make that possible for years to come.

Schedule and additional information are provided below.
Location: Variety Village – 3701 Danforth Ave. Scarborough, Ont. M1N 2G2

Friday, August 5th, 10:30AM – 12:30PM
10:30AM – Guests start to arrive
10:45AM – Karen Stintz, Robert Witchel, and Archie Allison give remarks.
11:05AM – Ribbon cutting, First pitch
11:10AM – Photo ops
11:15AM – Campers play first official game of t-ball on field
11:30AM – Barbeque Lunch served ft. Hot dogs, chips, drinks, cookies
12:00PM-12:30PM – Event wrapup

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About Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ontario (Foundation) and Variety Village

For almost 70 years, Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ontario has made a significant impact in the lives of children and youth with disabilities and their families in the greater Toronto area. Specialized programs and services through the charity’s original project, Variety Village, have supported its goal to improve the quality of life and integration into society of all children, regardless of their abilities. Visit www.varietyontario.ca to learn more.
The flagship project of the charity, Variety Village, is a fitness and life skills facility recognized as a world leader in offering programs and services that help individuals of all abilities develop a greater sense of independence, confidence and well-being. Learn more about Variety’s programming and services, visit www.varietyvillage.ca.

About Jays Care Foundation

Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, uses baseball as a tool to teach life skills and create lasting social change for over 35,000 children and youth across Canada. Jays Care proudly works in all ten provinces and two territories running community programs to level the playing field for Canadian kids facing barriers. The organization has also invested over $10 million through Field Of Dreams to support the building or refurbishment of more than 100 diamonds and recreation spaces. In 2020, Jays Care was awarded MLB’s Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence recognizing the Blue Jays Community Commitment, a $7.5 million COVID-19 response plan that supported those disproportionately affected by the pandemic across Canada.

For information please contact:
Chris Yaccato
Manager, Fundraising and Corporate Engagement
Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ontario
Variety Village
3701 Danforth Avenue
Scarborough, ON M1N 2G2
Office: (416) 699 -7167 x 291
Direct: (416) 820-0790
cyaccato@varietyontario.ca
www.varietyontario.ca

Event Contact:
Alexandra Turnbull
Coordinator, Event Planning
Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ontario
Variety Village
3701 Danforth Avenue
Scarborough, ON M1N 2G2
Office: (416) 699 -7167 x 294
aturnbull@varietyontario.ca
www.varietyontario.ca