The Champions of Whitey Ford Field

Background: Friends of Whitey Ford Field started in January 2017 and we steward one the oldest ball fields in Queens. We are primarily an advocacy group dedicated to promoting the field on the local, national and international stage.

Our first year has been exciting and we've celebrated many successes, including:

• Hosted the largest clean up in the park's history, with over 30 volunteers participating!
• Won $6k in Partnerships for Parks grants 
• Were featured in both local and international press

But we've still got a long way to go. Our next and most important needs are to secure and improve the conditions of this historic field:

• Maintenance equipment: We need tarps, shovels, paint, and other general greening equipment.
• Shade: We need a tent canopy for protection from the sun for volunteers.

Now What? You can help and be a part of this new chapter for this field and our community! It's easy as 1-2-3!

1. Make a donation to this project. Every dollar counts. 

2. Volunteer! Our primary project is known as Ford Family Days, where Whitey Ford's family in conjunction with other local sports groups and community leaders will hold a field event dedicated to introducing our group and fundraising for other long-term projects.

3. Your donation will be doubled through a $1,000 matching grant challenge sponsored by Partnerships for Parks.

Set up a shaded area so volunteers and Ford's family can sit in comfort in between on field events.

Smooth out parts of the field and dugout to make it safe for visitors and participants.

As we expect to be in the local press and field calls and questions from reporters, we need mobile technology such as a basic smart phone.

Our project is a first step in turning our group into the most widely known friend's group in Queens with a national and international reputation. Our supporters come as far away as Barcelona, Spain, and many cities in the UK.