fund raising tab--draft--09-2011--twc website

Who says
it’s just a game?
Help Complete the Field of Dreams:
Donate to the St. Clair Little League Playing Complex

Help us build our fie
If you build it, they will come.
No one believed Shoeless Joe when he told
Kevin Costner that his field of dreams would
yield great players.
But build it he did and sure enough, the field
created memories and life lessons.
That is exactly what baseball in the St. Clair Little
League has been all about since
its inception 56 years ago: creating
precious memories and life
lessons for the youth in our community.
Coaching that extends
beyond the field. Mentoring
that makes a lasting impact on
children. Teaching kids to swing
the bat in life even if it means
sometimes striking out. Without
swinging, one never has a chance
to hit a homerun...on the field or
in life.
Swinging the Bat
for the Kids
The St. Clair Little League is stepping
into the ball and aiming to hit a homerun
with the development of a new
Little League complex. Located on Fred
Moore Highway just west of St. Clair,
the state-of-the-art facility is already
under construction and the first field is
expected to be ready for play in 2011.
The Culture and Tradition of St. Clair Little League
In 1952, the St. Clair Little League movement took root. With
60 boys enrolled to play, the Little League mystique captured the
imagination of children and their parents in the city of St. Clair
and its surrounding communities. A tradition of competition
and sportsmenship, along with good, clean fun, helped build the
St. Clair Little League into an institution in the community.
Today, more than 650 boys and girls are enrolled in the program
which is broken down into 10 leagues and 57 teams that
currently play at three different locations: Joseph B. Klecha Little
League Park, St. Clair Middle School and St. Clair High School.
Why a new facility and why now?
The answer is simple: To improve the quality of life
in St. Clair & to help our community prosper.
St. Clair is a “best in class” community.
Whenever a new endeavor is conceived, it is
always planned and executed in a manner that
can only be viewed as “best in class” as well.
Such is the case with the design
of the new ballfields. With the
fields currently used to support
the Little League scattered
around the community, there
is no opportunity for St. Clair
Little League to host regional
tournaments. Upon completion
of the new facility, the Little
League will have the playing
fields, parking and other
accommodations needed to host a
state tournament.
In addition to increasing the
visibility of our local players
and outstanding facilities,
tournaments will benefit the local
economy.
Teams that travel spend money
on hotel rooms, food and shopping.
Though the total economic impact of
such a tournament on our community
is unknown at this time, it is estimated
that each tournament hosted in St. Clair
will bring in tens of thousands of dollars
of revenue into the community.
Additionally, tournaments held in St. Clair will place a spotlight
on other tourism and travel venues in the community. These
include our access to the water and our exceptional harbor and
marina, in addition to a wide variety of festivals and community
activities such as the St. Clair Art Fair and the Off-Shore
Powerboat Races.
Additionally, St. Clair and its surrounding townships have much
to offer in terms of economic development opportunities such
as the industrial park on Range Road. By exposing visitors who
might not otherwise come to our community to those ammenities,
the possibility of attracting business and industry also exists.

ld of dreams...
St. Clair Little League: Inspiring Stories of Success
Motivation & Inspiration Comes from the Kids
The reason why the St. Clair Little League has become so
successful over the years is because it serves a range of children
whose individual playing abilities are just as broad. Following are
two success stories from the St. Clair Little League that couldn’t
be more different in many ways, and yet, they carry the same
message in the end: playing in the St. Clair Little League helped
each individual grow as a person. And that, indeed, is what Little
League is all about.
Becoming Part of the “Team”
When my two sons wanted to play Little League baseball, I was
somewhat apprehensive about one of my boys playing, as he is
“developmentally delayed” and would not play at his age level.
After speaking with St. Clair Little League
officials about the situation, I was feeling a
little more comfortable because I would be the
coach for my son’s team, but I was still a little
uneasy. As the season started and I was able
to meet other coaches and interact with the
people willing to help me, it became obvious
that making sure the kids have fun is the most
important aspect of the game. I saw many
examples of the coaches and players for both
teams encouraging players from both benches.
I was so impressed and it was so easy to fall
into the “culture” of St. Clair Little League.
It is truly for the kids. It provides athletic,
emotional and social mentoring and growth for all involved,
especially the children. My son, whom I was worried about,
absolutely had the best time of his life. It helped him become a
part of a “team.”
Joe Tranchida
Taking Baseball & Life Lessons to New Heights
Baseball has been an integral part of my life since I was a little
boy. With the help of great coaches and mentoring, I was able to
play baseball for the University of Michigan where I was honored
to serve as team captain of the greatest regular season team in all
of Big Ten history.
While at the U of M, I was a part of three regular season Big
Ten Championships, as well as two tournament championships.
I played in the NCAA Regionals against the highest competition
in all of college baseball during my four years at Michigan. One
of my U of M career highlights took place when I was able to
play on the team that upset number one-ranked team Vanderbilt,
with David Price—who went on to become a Major League
Baseball rookie sensation—on the mound against us. I have had
the pleasure of watching teammates of mine play in the pros.
I have had all these blessings bestowed on me through the
game of baseball and it all started in the St. Clair Little League.
Without the guidance and coaching I received from my
coaches in the St. Clair Little League, I would have never had the
opportunity to play on the great teams with the great players like
I did at the University of Michigan. I would not have had the
chance to experience these once in a lifetime opportunities that
many only dream of.
The St. Clair Little League not only provided me with an opportunity
to learn about the game of baseball, but also provided
me with many lessons that I apply and use every day of my life.
The St. Clair Little League developed me as both an athlete and
as a man as well.
Derek VanBuskirk

Questions & Answers
Why a new field now?
The St. Clair Little League currently operates the playing
fields at Klecha Park in St. Clair, which cannot accommodate
the needs of this continuously growing program and, in fact, the
league leases field space at the St. Clair Middle School in order to
accommodate overflow. Growth in the City of St. Clair and the
surrounding area has led to subsequent growth within the Little
League program.
Additionally, because it is so widely recognized as a quality,
life-enriching program for children, the St. Clair Little League
program has been ranked among the top five programs in the
state of Michigan.
How many children participate
in the St. Clair Little League?
More than 650 area children are currently enrolled in the St.
Clair Little League. The children hail from: St. Clair Township,
(41%); the City of St. Clair (30%); China Township (14%);
East China Township (5%); Columbus Township (4%); Casco
Township (2%); and other local municipalities (1%). Sixty-five
percent of the league’s players are boys, with the remaining 35
percent girls.
Where is the new
facility located?
The new St. Clair Little League
complex is located on Fred Moore
Highway in St. Clair Township
just west of St. Clair. It is located
on property that has access to the
Pine River.
When will construction
begin and who is
overseeing it?
The property was acquired in
2004 through a joint purchase
made by the St. Clair Little
League and the City of St. Clair.
The complex was designed by a
team of architects and engineers
wtih prior experience developing
baseball facilities. Construction
began in April, 2006. Rough
grading has been completed, the
pavilions erected and the seeding
is complete. The construction is
being overseen by a committee of dedicated volunteers from
the St. Clair Little League who have been involved with the
organization for many years, along with a team of engineers,
architects and other professionals.
How big will the new complex be?
Located on 26 acres of land, eight fields have been seeded
and it is hoped that all eight will begin seeing play in 2011.
Additionally, there is room for growth on site, as the property is
part of a 53 acre parcel of land owned by the city of St. Clair.
Who is paying for the new facility
and how much will it cost?
The property was purchased for $340,000 by the St. Clair
Little League and the City of St. Clair, with each entity
contributing $59,000. The balance was provided by generous
grants from the Whiting, Mary Moore, DSLT and St. Clair
foundations.
The total cost of the project, including the land purchase,
is estimated at a little more than $1 million. Approximately
$445,000 has been raised to date. It is anticipated that the
balance of $575,000 will be met through additional foundation
grants and local contributions. It may take several years to raise
the entire amount, but the Little League hopes to borrow against
pledged amounts in order to complete the project by 2011.
When will the new fields be ready for play?
Success on this project would mean the fields are 100 percent
ready to be played upon in 2011. This is due, in part, to the fact
that the newly seeded fields require several years to fully mature
in order to withstand the rigors of Little League play.
Fred Moore Hwy
For more information or to make a donation
Checks should be made out to St. Clair Little League. Please
make a notation in the memo field designating the funds for the
new fields. Checks can be mailed to the address below.
For more information, contact:
Tom Foley
Past President
St. Clair Little League
1018 Highland Drive
St. Clair MI 48079
Call: (810)329-6354
Email: foleyte@sbcglobal.net
King Road