New Milford Little League Gets SNY PLAY BALL Grant, Visit from Mr. Met

Hurricane Sandy hit New Milford hard, the Little League fields being no exception. Bleachers were lost, the scoreboard was broken, fencing was destroyed and the grounds torn apart. 

League Vice President, Dan Davis, said that making the necessary repairs and getting the fields ready for opening day was a daunting task. 

"We rely on volunteers for everything from maintaining the fields to working the snack bar," Davis said. "All of our funding comes through fundraising."

In order to help with costs, the League applied for the SNY (SportsNet New York) PLAY BALL grant to help restore the fields.

Now in its third year, SNY PLAY BALL, in conjunction with N.Y. Community Bank, offers little leagues a chance to receive a $5,000 grant. Due to the damage brought on by Hurricane Sandy, this year SNY wanted to award the grant to the most deserving leagues in the tri-state area and help them get back to playing ball. From over 100 applications, SNY selected New Milford as a recipient, Marie DeParis, V.P. of SNY, said. 

Mr. Met made an appearance on the field and took pictures with the league. He even posed for a shot with a player wearing a Yankees cap. 

According to Davis, the grant money will be put towards making continued repairs to the fields and to the Challenger League, a separate division of Little League that enables boys and girls with physical and mental challenges to play baseball.

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