Jays Care Diamond Grand Opening and U9 Jamboree

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Caisse Community Centre New Ball Diamond Grand Opening and U9 Jamboree THANK YOU 

 

The Macdonald Minor Ball Association and Caisse Community Centre hosted a Grand Opening of a New Ball Diamond and updated amenities on Sunday, June 11th, 2023 with players, parents, community members, and Jays Care Foundation representatives in attendance. The day featured a U9 (under-9) Jamboree, a skills competition, a dunk tank, emergency vehicles display (Macdonald Fire Fighters Association and RCMP Headingley Detachment) and food and beverages, all on the grounds of the Caisse Community Centre in La Salle, MB. 

The Grand Opening Ceremony headlined the event, with players and coaches gathering on Jays Care Field for the National Anthem, sung by Kari McFarlane. Master of Ceremonies, Gary Romijn, introduced the community to those responsible for the developments, including Brian Cornelsen (President, Caisse Community Centre), Dee Romijn (Facility Manager, Caisse Community Centre), and the lead on the project, Stephen Ceslak (President, Macdonald Minor Ball Association). Jays Care Foundation representatives Rebecca Lansley (Specialist, Jays Care Foundation), Nichole Martin (Senior Manager, Jays Care Foundation), Colette Ng (Senior Coordinator, Jays Care Foundation) and Nicole Setterfield (Administrator, Jays Care Foundation) presented the community with a custom Blue Jays baseball jersey. The official ribbon cutting was performed, and ceremonial first pitches were thrown by siblings Jeter and Kinsley Ceslak, young ball players from La Salle.  

 

Construction of the new, safe, accessible diamond and amenities updates came on the heels of an $85,000 Jays Care Foundation grant, fundraising efforts and generous donations from sponsors in the community for a total project cost of $250,000. Stephen Ceslak and Dee Romijn submitted a Grant Application to the Field of Dreams program at Jays Care Foundation in 2021 and in the Spring of 2022, received notification that the Caisse Community Centre had been awarded the grant. Excavation for the New Ball Diamond officially began in August, 2022. A year later, the community of La Salle and all the young ball players in the community have access to diamonds with improved field drainage, permanent base anchors, multiple storage solutions, temporary home-run fences and upgraded batting cages. Advancements like these made at the Caisse Community Centre Ball DDiamonds are core to the mission of the ‘Field of Dreams’ program which supports players and community alike. Through increased: access to quality sport amenities, physical activity opportunities, positive role model experiences, accessible spaces, capacity for enrollment in youth programs, community engagement, and most of all, access to baseball and softball, children learn life skills while in a community that is united and encouraged to grow.  

A development such as this is a true investment in the town of La Salle, in the sports of baseball and softball, and in every child that will grow up playing on the Caisse Community Centre Ball Diamonds.  

 

Thank you to ALL the sponsors for their generous contributions: 

Platinum Sponsors

Jays Care Foundation, Building Sustainable Communities and Marchetti Family Trust  

Gold Sponsors 

Dufresne Furniture, La Salle Insurance, ReadyMeds, Red River Mutual, Tank Traders and Sport MB Canada Games Legacy Fund - Stephen Ceslak 

Silver Sponsors 

Anseeuw Brothers Ltd, Canterra Seeds, Crown Toyota, GLP Enterprises, Homestead Co-op and Witt Family 

Bronze Sponsors 

Pitura Seeds, Brett Young, Vern Harrison, FWS and Ritchie Bros Auctioneers 

 

Thank you to the countless volunteers who made the construction and transition processes possible. 

 

The Macdonald Minor Ball Association and Caisse Community Centre would also like to thank the Green Team for their fantastic job on maintaining not only the New Ball Diamond but ALL the Ball Diamonds at the Caisse Community Centre. 

 

Article Credit to: Emma Anderson