Kauffman Foundation makes $1 million donation to Royals Youth Baseball Academy
To begin the celebration of Ewing Kauffman’s 100th birthday, the Kauffman Foundation announced a contribution of $1 million to the Kansas City Royals Urban Youth Baseball Academy.
The donation will support the construction of the academy, which will house 800 to 1,000 youth baseball and softball players every year from ages 6-18. The Royals’ academy is expected to open in June 2017 and will be the seventh MLB academy site in the country.
“We couldn’t be more humbled and honored by this donation,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said in a news release. “Celebrating Mr. Kauffman’s 100th birthday observance in this way is the perfect partnership for the academy.”
Ewing Kauffman’s daughter Julia Irene Kauffman announced the grant given in her father’s name 100 days away from his birthday.
The $1 million grant is the latest in funding for the Royals’ project. It’s received $2 million from the state, $2 million from the city, $2 million from the Major League Baseball Urban Youth foundation, $1 million from the MLB Players Association and private funding from some Royals players, including Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon and Chris Young.
“I can’t think of a better way to begin the countdown to Mr. Kauffman’s 100th birthday than by announcing our support for a project like the Urban Youth Baseball Academy,” said Wendy Guilles, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “The Academy will help young people to develop not only baseball skills but critical life skills.”
Construction on the outdoor phase of the academy, which is located at Parade Park, is expected to be finished by November. It will include two full-sized baseball fields, one women’s softball field, and one youth-size baseball field.
The indoor facility, which construction began on in April, is expected to be completed by June 2017 and will house batting cages, a turf infield, pitcher mounds, locker rooms, classrooms and offices.
This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Kauffman Foundation makes $1 million donation to Royals Youth Baseball Academy."