Submitted by Greg Rediske for Lakewood Baseball Club.
In DuPont, you’re nobody unless your business is sponsoring a youth baseball team. Their program is thriving.
In Lakewood, that has not been the case. Lakewood Baseball Club’s program has been entirely self-financed, with the exception of funds received at various times from the Lakewood Community Foundation Fund, Lakewood Rotary, the Ram, Classis Chassis and Tacoma Trophy.
We need to change this! Lakewood Rotary and Lakewood Kiwanis are sponsoring one or more teams, and three other individuals have stepped up. Lakewood Baseball need 8 or 9 more sponsors, at $500 each. It’s time for our youngsters in Lakewood to have the opportunity to play baseball, even if they can’t afford it. See below for more information.
Lakewood Baseball Club is a nonprofit organization providing area youth AGES 4-19 the opportunity to play the great games of baseball and fastpitch softball.. Our players come from Lakewood, Tacoma, Puyallup, University Place, Parkland, Steilacoom and surrounding areas. They are placed into divisions based on age and skill level. While we are not affiliated with City of Lakewood Parks and Recreation or Clover Park Schools, we have formed mutually benefitting relationships and use many of their fields. The Lakewood Baseball Club strives to instill in our youth the belief in good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty and a sense of teamwork so that they may become strong, healthy, well-adjusted members of the community. It is our mission as volunteer coaches and parents to provide a healthy atmosphere for our players, regardless of ability or experience, in which they are able to learn the positive aspects of baseball and utilize what they learn, on and off the field. LBC is affiliated with PONY baseball. The PONY baseball program was created for all players to be able to participate in baseball. We want to Protect Our Nation’s Youth as they grow into young men and women and leaders of tomorrow. PONY is a community based program for everyone in the family to enjoy.
Team Sponsorship Information
Sponsor Name/Contact: ____________________________________________________________
Name to list as Sponsor on promotional items: __________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________________
Phone: ________________________ Email: ____________________________________________
Team level to sponsor: ______________________________________________________________
(Any; T-ball (6U); 8U (machine pitch); 10U (Kid Pitch); 12U (Kid Pitch))
Please send a check for $500 to the address listed above.
Lakewood Baseball Club strives to account for all sponsorships and donations. Lakewood Baseball Club is a 501c3 organization as well as a listed Washington Non-Profit. Sponsors and donors are reminded to make payments to Lakewood Baseball Club directly and not to the individual baseball team unless they too hold a 501c3 designation.
For more information: go to lakewoodbaseballclub.org, or call 253-307-3494 or gnsrediske@msn.com and ask for Greg.
With ever-increasing taxes, inflation, and national debt obligation, it is becoming more difficult for citizens to support our local public/chariable interests.
We are forced to spend our money to fight back against special interests who seek to take our Constitutional rights, while forcing us to condone things we don’t believe in, and of course,
gotta buy more bombs for Ukrain ya know.
America has slid a long way from baseball and apple pie.
Question is: where are we going?
I for one, would gladly cut you a check if I wasn’t forced to put my kid through private school, for the failing of the public school system.
Maybe some of these good folks who keep voting for taxes and levies and progressive policy will pony up some of their own money for a change.
Thankyou for your volunteering, and I wish you well.
I am saddened that you turned a simple plea for community involvement into a platform for sharing your political views.
Lakewood Parks & Recreation last hosted youth Baseball in 2012. This is long before a war in Ukraine. Before a pandemic. 2 different Governors and 3 Mayors.
While Lakewood Baseball Club has been providing Baseball opportunities for our youth for over 30 years, in 2013 it became the ONLY provider of youth Baseball. No paid staff, no office, simply depending on an ever shrinking list of volunteers.
The comparison Mr. Rediske is trying to make… The City of DuPont with a population of just over 10,000 and a by far smaller business base, is able to grasp the need of a vibrant youth program, while Lakewood, with a huge business base and a population of over 63,000, continues to struggle.
My son started with Lakewood Recreation and after the baseball program was canceled, stayed another 6 years with Lakewood Baseball Club. I saw the need and stepped up to the plate. I was an assistant Coach, served as President, and remained Treasurer until just this year. I believe in my community. How about you?
This isn’t 30 years ago.
This is today.
Things have gradually changed and we should question: why?
The amount of money many of us are required to spend on political action groups, to fight for our Constitutional rights and freedoms, against those who seek to destroy them, can be a major drain on our time and budgets these days.
Some of us make that sacrifice because we believe in our country and the principles of its founding.
The way things are going, we will have only the government left to beg our tax dollars back from, in order to fund anything.
That’s pretty much what our elected representatives have been reduced to.
With time and financial resources continuously drained, it is difficult to focus on charities or volunteering.
Most people do not contribute much if anything to charity, and far fewer volunteer.
When I had an active business, we gave to many local volunteer groups, as it would give us recognition and offset our tax burden.
These days, much time and resource goes to fixing vandalism and blight from angry homeless folks who want to destroy our properties.
We should revisit “30 years ago” and examine what has taken us to “today”.