End of 2018 Message From the Founder:
Before founding Diamonds in the Rough I worked in life insurance, advertising, and finally got to pursue my lifelong dream of playing professional baseball. After returning home from playing ball in New Mexico, I knew there was no way I could return to my old desk from 8-5 and sell advertising space. I needed to make a positive impact on this world doing something I loved. I realized that in so many communities around America, including my hometown, there are no adequate baseball fields for today’s youth to play the greatest game on earth. The game of baseball has been the love of my life and I wanted to ensure the future of our national pastime. So I decided to found Diamonds in the Rough: A non profit organization that transforms neglected baseball fields into state of the art ballparks. 2018 has been an amazing year for Diamonds in the Rough. Here are just some of the great strides we have made in our first year of changing lives:
In September we partnered with Twinsburg Township to renovate a rundown ball field in an old community park. This project aims to be a complete overhaul as we set up to install a new playing surface, fencing, dugouts, backstop, scoreboard, and other amenities. In October we officially launched our fundraising phases for Twinsburg Township and on top of the matching funds committed by the Township we have received generous donations from community members and businesses and received The Diamond Improvement Grant from The Cleveland Indians. In early December we officially broke ground and began our Twinsburg Township project on schedule. We plan on our opening day celebration to be held on June 1st and are heading into 2019 with great enthusiasm as we continue to fundraise. Lastly, we began initial planning and strategy to renovate a ball field in Slavic Village, a historic neighborhood of Cleveland. This project aims to take place at Morgana Park in the heart of Slavic Village. Diamonds in the Rough has partnered with community leaders and Slavic Village Development in the early stages of this project and we have some exciting announcements ready for 2019. 2018 has been such a blessing for myself and Diamonds in the Rough. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to our mission and a warmer reception from all of the government officials, community leaders and members. 2019 is primed to be an incredible year. I want to wish all of you nothing but happiness and success in the upcoming year. God Bless, Jonah Schulz President & Founder Diamonds in the Rough “Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona." |
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