What does it mean to Share the Glove?
The Northwoods League Foundation (“Foundation”) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It serves as a vehicle to transform a shared passion for baseball and softball into positive change and support for communities. The Mission of the Northwoods League Foundation is to utilize the games of baseball and softball to enrich the quality of life for children and families, with an enduring and caring focus on Northwoods League communities.
In support of this mission, the Foundation launched its Share the Glove initiative in 2018. Share the Glove supports local youth sports through equipment grants. Since 2018, more than $250,000 worth of equipment has been distributed to youth organizations. The Foundation will be awarding 25 equipment grants during the 2024 season.
What is included in the grant?
The grant is a standardized set of Rawlings equipment. Each grant includes one sets of catcher’s gear (plus mitt), nine fielding gloves, six batting helmets, three bats and one bucket of practice balls. For the 2024 season, baseball and softball grants were awarded as follows:
- Softball Grants
- Battle Creek, MI
- Fond du Lac, WI
- Green Bay, WI
- Kalamazoo, MI
- Kenosha, WI
- Lakeshore, WI
- Madison, WI
- Rockford, IL
- Royal Oak, MI
- Traverse City, MI
- Wausau, WI
- Wisconsin Rapids, WI
- Baseball Grants
- Bismarck, ND
- Dickinson, ND
- Duluth, MN
- Eau Claire, WI
- Kokomo, IN
- La Crosse, WI
- Mankato, MN
- Minot, ND
- Rochester, MN
- St. Cloud, MN
- Thunder Bay, ONT
- Waterloo, IA
- Willmar, MN
*Canadian grant applicants must meet US and Canadian IRC Guidelines.