WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis.- The Rafters, in partnership with the Northwoods League Foundation, will be awarding one local softball team with more than $2,000 of Rawlings equipment, thanks to the Share the Glove grant.

This year, the Northwoods League Foundation will be awarding more than $50,000 in youth baseball and softball equipment through twenty-five (25) equipment grants. Each grant will include one set of catcher’s gear (helmet, chest protector, shin guards and a mitt), ten fielding gloves, eight batting helmets, six bats, and one bucket of practice softballs.
From the applications collected, the Northwoods League Foundation will select one (1) recipient in each community. Organizations must meet the applicable criteria, which includes compliance with IRS 501(c)(3) guidelines.

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.

“It is incredible to think about what this grant does for local recipients year after year,” General Manager Chloe de Vries said. “Especially this year, eliminating those expenses for youth organizations will make a huge impact.”

This season marks year five of the Share the Glove grant. Past winners include WRYSA, Port Edwards Youth Baseball, Nekoosa Youth Athletics, Auburndale Softball and Rudolph Little League. Registration will end on Friday, April 22nd.

Apply for Share the Glove Grant here: https://tinyurl.com/54r6wccn

The Rafters Home Opener is slated for 6:35pm on Monday, May 30th against the Green Bay Rockers. For more information on the different ticket packages visit Raftersbaseball.com, call the Rafthouse at 715-424-5400, or visit Historic Witter Field. The Rafthouse is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at Witter Field, 521 Lincoln Street in Wisconsin Rapids.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27 th season, the Northwoods 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 245 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rafters as your favorite team