Waterloo, Iowa – In conjunction with the Northwoods League Foundation, the Waterloo Bucks are proud to announce the City of Dike Recreation Department has been named the recipient of this year’s Share the Glove Equipment Grant Program.  All 22 Northwoods League communities will receive a grant from the Foundation.

The Bucks received many applicants in its second year of this grant and are proud to have an impact in providing this equipment to an organization in the Cedar Valley. As part of the Our Bucks Community Initiative, the Bucks partnered with the Northwoods League Foundation in providing this equipment and would like to congratulate the City of Dike Recreation Department in receiving this year’s Share the Glove Equipment Grant.  The Bucks will make an on-field presentation to representatives of the City of Dike Recreation before the 2019 Northwoods League All-Star Game at Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium on Tuesday, July 16.

The Northwoods League Foundation is donating a total of $55,000 in youth Rawlings baseball and softball equipment this spring throughout the footprint of the league.  Each grant includes two sets of catcher’s gear, ten gloves, eight batting helmets, six bats, and one bucket of practice balls.  Eleven baseball grants and eleven softball grants are being awarded in total.  The Share the Glove initiative was developed to encourage participation in youth baseball and softball activities in NWL communities.  Northwoods League affiliates promoted the grant and collected applications from youth organizations in their local markets over a six-week period this spring.

“Share the Glove embodies not only the mission of the Northwoods League Foundation, but the spirit of the League and its Affiliates,” said Gary Hoover, Northwoods League Foundation Secretary.  “We look forward to further inspiring participation in, and a love for, the games of baseball and softball throughout our communities.”

The Northwoods League Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that serves as a vehicle to transform a shared passion for baseball into positive change and support for communities. The mission of the Northwoods League Foundation is to utilize the game of baseball to enrich the quality of life for children and families with an enduring and caring focus on Northwoods League communities.

The Bucks open their 25^th season of play on May 28 at Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium which will host the 2019 Northwoods League All-Star Game.  The ballpark welcomed a new state of the art video board in 2016 thanks to a matching grant from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association.  Team ownership has invested more than $300,000 in improvements since the end of the 2014 season including painted bleachers, public Wi-Fi, sound system, group outing areas, kids zone inflatables, and concessions equipment.  Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com or utilizing the Northwoods League Mobile App.

# # #

The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 25-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 200 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bucks as your favorite team.