These are projects that we worked on in the past:

Azerbaijan Softball Club meets Hillary Clinton

"Our year has been absolutely incredible and it is really all thanks to Pitch In For Baseball. We were able to add four new teams, a team met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and we held our first two day championship tournament. Your equipment has been placed in towns/villages that border Armenia, Iran, Russia and Georgia. Due to your donation we estimate that some 200 boys and girls were able to play softball in 2010. 100 or more for the first time ever. We had nationwide media coverage at four of our tournaments, and it can be assumed that over a million Azerbaijanis were introduced to our program through this medium. The progress we made is directly linked to your donation. I wish PIFB all the best. You do INCREDIBLE work.

Thank you for everything!"

Respectfully,
Mathias Jackson
Peace Corps Volunteer

India Little League growing with our help

PIFB made a donation to India Little League this past summer and the equipment finally reached it's destination! Starting with 50 players in 1998, BSLLC India has grown to house over 1000 players on 68 teams.

“Anoop Kumar is our District Administrator in India and has worked very hard to introduce the game of baseball and softball to the children of India,” Dan Velte, Director League Development for Little League International, said. “With the help of PIFB’s equipment donation, as well as Anoop’s dedication to growing the sport, we hope to see significant growth in Little League participation throughout India.”

India is a country with a deep passion for sports. However, for most of its history, most of that passion has not been directed toward youth baseball and softball. Pitch In For Baseball, through its strategic alliance with Little League International, is hoping to make inroads. Read the full story on how PIFB has helped BSLLC India HERE.

Nurturing youth in Nicaragua through Lone Tree Institute

LTI of La Concepcion, Nicaragua supports community baseball programs to help teenagers and young men develop a sense of achievement and build their self-confidence, improve skills and discipline, learn how to contribute to a team effort and build friendships, and to be a part of and contribute to their communities. Through the generous support of Pitch In for Baseball which donated equipment, LTI has supplied uniforms, high quality gloves, bats, cleats, batting helmets & gloves and catchers’ equipment.

PIFB replaces Flagami Elementary School's stolen gear

Flagami Elementary School of Miami, Florida lost all of their baseball equipment to theft this past summer. Thanks to Pitch In For Baseball, they are back in action! Thank you so much to the students of Flagami Elementary for your beautiful thank you cards!

Happy to Help East Rowan Diamond Sports

East Rowan Diamond Sports of Rockwell, NC received a large equipment donation from Pitch In For Baseball this September, providing them with the safe equipment necessary for them to play the game.

American Sports Club Bitola

Through Peace Corps volunteers Katie Kalinowski and Daniel Pickel, Pitch In For Baseball helped spread the love of baseball to Bitola, Macedonia.

"Thanks to Pitch In For Baseball, kids in Macedonia are playing baseball for the very first time.  They are so excited to play this sport that they have only seen in the movies.  We could not have made this happen without PIFB's support." Katie Kalinowski, Peace Corps Volunteer, Bitola, Macedonia on behalf of the American Sports Club Bitola

Operation Homerun: Baseball in Bagdad
I hope all is well in the States. It was a great day for the "Dagger Brigade." This morning Soldiers from D Troop 5/4 Cavalry and A Company 403 Civil Affairs Battalion delivered equipment donated from "Pitch in for Baseball." Mr Fahkri, a deputy in the Ministry of Youth and Sport, had invited about 40 children to the equipment drop off. As part of the delivery the soldiers gave a quick demonstration of the new equipment that would be shared by the Northwest Baghdad youth centers. Mr. Fahkri said that they would be forming a league and we would be invited to the first exhibition game once they have had enough time to practice. It was a great opportunity for the soldiers. And while there was some tentative children, many of them were picking up the game quickly and showed a true interest in the sport. I've collected and attached a bunch of the pictures that were taken during the distribution. It was a long process to get the equipment into the hands of some kids. But interest, by the Youth and Sport personnel and the children, in making the most of the equipment was very promising. Thank you so much to your organization and for your personal support for this endeavor.

Very Respectfully,
LT Conor Browne
Assistant Civil Military Operations Officer 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry
Division Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq

Getting Going, again, in Galveston, TX
"Not many folks in the Galveston area were thinking about baseball last September when Hurricane Ike pounded the community with storm surge from the Gulf and 120mph winds and rain. Yet six months after that storm altered the landscape of Galveston, Little Leaguers all around the region are kicking off their season thanks to the fortitude and spirit of countless volunteers and the generosity of a non-for-profit charity from the Philadelphia area called Pitch In For Baseball®." READ THE FULL STORY

Dominican Republic Orphanage gets a Gift
On behalf of Rose of Sharon Orphanage, Nicole Eby says, "Dear Mr. Rhode, We are so grateful for your donation. The baseball equipment will enable the boys at the orphanage to participate in/initiate team baseball in their small village outside of San Juan de La Maguana, DR. Now they can walk to a baseball field and interact with the locals as though they belong in their community. I'm sure that you can see this goes beyond sports and enables 50-plus little boys to feel as though they can 'fit it' in their neighborhood. Thank you, again, for your generosity."

Still Slugging in Slovenia
Our recent donation to a youth organization in Slovenia has helped spread the joy of baseball to yet more children around the globe: "Thanks to Pitch In For Baseball for their most wanted help to our federation. They made our kids look like real ball players and our school championship like it should be. Because of your help, school authorities can see that baseball is a sport like no other and the kids enjoy it very much. We're looking forward to further development of baseball in Slovenia. Thanks again. PLAY BALL!!!"

Equipment Goes to Washington, D.C.
As part of our ongoing commitment to assist the Little League Urban Initiative, Pitch In For Baseball was able to assist 3 developing leagues in our nation's capital. Equipment collected as part of the United States Postal Service partnership was used to bring these young players the assistance they need.

Donated Equipment Brings Smiles to Children in the Philippines
Jon Decker-U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer along with Joel Rojas and Rosemarie Elizalde of the Poro Camotes Baseball Association expressed their gratitude for the generous donation of equipment from Pitch In For Baseball, "Prior to the arrival of the equipment, many of our players were hesitant to participate. We will never forget the excitment the day the large boxes arrived. With your help, we are working hard to instill the values of sportsmanship, leadership, team work and self-confidence."

Baseball Assists Recovery in New Orleans
Since 2006, Pitch In For Baseball has continued to support the children in the Gulf Coast region regain a sense of normalcy following Hurricane Katrina. In the spring of 2008, we made our most significant contribution to date.

Michael Haggen-Deputy Superintendent-Recovery School District says, "On behalf of the children, families and the Recovery School District, thank you for the donations of baseball and softball equipment to 13 of our schools. What your organization has done for children in New Orleans is phenomenal. We now have access to give our students skills that will follow them through out their academic careers. We are looking forward to working with you on future projects and thank you again for putting children and their causes first."

Play Ball In Mexico
Mark Mann and his team of volunteers helped convert an old landfill into a baseball field in the town of Piedras Negras in Mexico. In 2007 and 2008 Pitch In For Baseball was able to provide the equipment that brought this great group of kids together for their first practice and first introduction to baseball.

Colombia Contributions
Throughout the country of Colombia, PIFB has impacted the lives of hundreds of children who live with extreme poverty, violence, and the danger of drugs and gangs. To the Indians in the Guajira region where the concept of organized sports is financially impossible, PIFB's donation is a dream come true. In another part of the country, girls who formerly relied on cardboard gloves now have real mitts and bats to start a league of their own. In the towns of Medellin and Cartagena, children are now playing baseball instead of participating in a lifestyle of drugs and violence.

Appreciative in Aruba
Sometimes, the letters say it all...

Caring in Curacao
Little League Curacao was very happy to receive a large donation:

	"We distributed the equipment between the 4 leagues we have on our island: Soraida Juliana LL, Willemstad LL, Pabao LL, and Pariba LL. Equipment is very expensive. It is a big concern for the leagues providing equipment to the teams in the leagues. This donation from Pitch in for Baseball help them a lot. We hope to get the possibility next year to apply one more time." Kenneth Desbarida, District Secretary, Little League Curacao
	One of the leagues receiving the donation from Pitch In For Baseball was the softball league "Soraida Juliana Little League." We were in great need for hard dimpled softballs designed for pitching machines. With this donation, Dave, we will improve the batting skills of the girls participating in our league. We are very gratefull for this donation. Thank you very much for the bats and gloves too! Cecil Garcia, League President
	I can tell you a story of a team in our league that was very glad to receive equipment from this donation. The team consist of players whose parents can't afford to buy equipment. With the help from "Pitch In For Baseball" they got some equipment. For them it was a dream come true. Fai Sille, Pabao Little League

Slugging in Slovenia
"Thank you all for your priceless help. Thanks to you, our kids will have much easier way to become familiar with baseball and softball" says Matjaz Rogelj of the Krpan Little League in Slovenia.

Happy in Houston
The Urban Initiative program in Houston, TX was a recipient of a uniform donation.

Donating to Duquesne
Duquesne Youth Baseball Little League is part of Little League's Urban Initiative, a vigorous attempt to provide access to the benefits of the Little League program to boys and girls within urban communities. Juan Henderson, President of Duquesne Youth Baseball Little League says, "We are very appreciative for your generous assistance of equipment, supplies, and uniforms. Your support will increase our registration and allow more children to benefit from our programs and the joys of playing youth baseball. Your assistance will benefit not only our organization but our community tremendously."

Equipment to Israel
In October 2006, Pitch In For Baseball delivered equipment to the Israeli Association of Baseball.

IAB's President, Haim Katz said, "We thank you very much for your extremely generous donation of equipment to the Israel Association of Baseball. The bats, catcher's equipment, gloves, uniforms, balls and more will allow us to expand our efforts to introduce baseball to the general population. Your equipment will be used for new teams which we hope to form in some of the poorer population areas, both by providing the equipment needed, and by freeing some of our financial resources to fund these activities."

Warren Easton School
When Pitch in for Baseball Executive Director, David Rhode visited New Orleans in June of 2006, he had a chance to meet the great folks from the Warren Easton School. Like so many places in the New Orleans community, Warren Easton was struggling to put things back together after Hurricane Katrina. Amongst the broad scale damage the school experienced, flooding from that storm completely wiped out the school's athletic supply room. Pitch in for Baseball was glad to assist helping the National Blue Ribbon School rebuild its baseball program.

Little League Pitches In
Little League Baseball, the largest sports organization in the world, has announced their strategic partnership with Pitch In For Baseball. All 5,000 of their U.S. affiliate organizations will be encouraged to donate equipment to support kids affected by the hurricanes of Fall 2005 in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.

Steve Keener, CEO and President of Little League Baseball and Softball, had this to say about our involvement: "Many Little League families along the Gulf Coast remain displaced. With the season just around the corner, it's important for the families to continue to take part in Little League. We're grateful that Pitch In For Baseball will fill this significant need."

Efforts in the Gulf Coast Region:
Biloxi, Mississippi- This region was one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. We came into contact with 2 Little League programs, D'Iberville and Ocean Springs that needed some assistance getting their programs back on track after the storm.

	This is my son, Kyle. He is at the beginning of the Ocean Springs Bridge that used to take you to Biloxi, MS. Thanks for your thoughts and concerns for us. We really appreciate everything. A lot of our kids in Little League lost their homes. David Oswalt, Vice President Ocean Springs Little League
	We certainly thank you for getting everything here before opening day. We are very excited and are going to load every thing up and head down to the ball field so we can be ready for tomorrow morning. We can hardly wait till tomorrow comes. Let everyone know how much we appreciate their support. We again thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for all the donations and support we have received. We are very hopeful that our 11-12 year olds will progress past district and that we may represent the State of Mississippi at tournament play. We have our fingers crossed. Kim and Buddy Dunaway, Treasurer and President D'Iberville Little League, D'Iberville, MS

New Orleans, Louisiana- The pictures and stories from New Orleans in September 2005 were haunting. Visiting this community in June of 2006 let us know that although years of work remain to be done, baseball can play an important part of that rebuilding process.

	Thank you for donating the bats to the league. We needed them. Now we have new bats so we don’t have to use old bats with dents in them! We really appreciate them. Now we can use these bats next year and years following. The league doesn’t have to go spend money on new bats now. Thank you! Nick Edwards, 12 years old Mid-Parish Little Leaguer, Tickfaw, LA
	I just wanted to send a little note in appreciation of the baseball bats you sent. The kids were so excited to get new bats. After the storms came through the area last year, a lot of the money we use to get new equipment was spent on repairs to the field and buildings which left very little for new equipment. Those really helped us out! Thanks Again, George Bratcher, Vice President Mid-Parish Little League Baseball, Tickfaw, LA
	To see the excitement in the eyes and facial expressions of the players in my leagues as I gave out the new bats that were donated to them, was worth more than any words that I could possibly say. Dennis Stephens Little League Baseball,Inc. District Administrator Louisiana District 2

Harlem RBI
Through age-appropriate, year-round sports and youth development programming, Harlem RBI offers much more than just baseball. Today, Harlem RBI prides itself on being a community-based organization that holistically integrates the benefits of sports activity, the power of teams, and youth development programs. The organization provides an enduring commitment to over 600 youth throughout their childhood and adolescence, and a stable and inspiring environment where these children can play, learn, and grow. Pitch In For Baseball is glad to support this model program and hopes the donation of new baseball and softball bats brings great joy to the kids in Harlem.

Youth Baseball in Kutno, Poland
In 2001, Little League baseball opened its first European youth baseball training center in Kutno, Poland. This excellent facility is called the European Leadership and Training Center and one Pitch In For Baseball board member, Bill Piszek, and his family were instrumental in bringing that dream to a reality.

The success in Kutno is the inspiration for the concept of Pitch In For Baseball. Working with a limited budget during those first couple years, Bill led an effort to collect gloves for the youngsters in Poland. To date, Bill's work has delivered over 1,500 gloves to young players in need. Amazingly, Poland qualified for the Little League World Series in Williamsport in 2003!

This story shows how grass roots efforts like Pitch In For Baseball can improve the lives of children. The popularity of youth baseball is thriving in Poland and continues to grow every year throughout Europe thanks to efforts like Pitch In For Baseball.

Helping in Haiti
Pitch in for Baseball became aware of a need for equipment in Haiti through another non-profit organization called Theo's Works, Inc. It is through them that we were able to bring baseball to the Pwoje Espwa orphanage.

	"Thank you so much, once again, for contributing to Pwoje Espwa. We have been very successful in our work, and things like baseball will only enhance our ability to serve the poor children of Haiti. My goal is to first teach our kids the fundamentals of baseball, and then to actually create teams. We have a lot of land, so the creation of a baseball field will certainly be part of the overall plan. I foresee working with our older children, ranging from around eight to eighteen years old." Andrew Cramer Theo's Works, Inc.

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