Pirates give grants to 38 youth baseball programs

Pirates Charities has given grants to 38 youth baseball and softball programs in three states — including 13 in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.

The “Fields for Kids” program is an annual initiative led by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ charity organization, which issues matching grants from $1,000 up.

This grant money can be used for improving baseball fields and facilities.

Most of this year’s grants were between $1,000 and $5,000, according to Pirates charities.

The Norwin Community Athletic Association got one of the larger grants this year, $10,000 to repair its Pony League field following flooding.

Most of the grants went to Pennsylvania baseball programs, though one went to Ohio and six to West Virginia.

Since Fields for Kids started the Pirates have given out 364 grants in the greater Pittsburgh region, plus an additional 45 grants to programs near the team’s spring training location in Bradenton, Florida.

Here’s the list of Allegheny and Westmoreland county baseball programs that received grants this year:

Allegheny County

• Avonworth Athletic Association

• Elizabeth Forward Youth Athletics

• Greater Baldwin Whitehall Athletic Association

• Green Tree Athletic Association

• Shaler Area Little League

• Devlin Field in Arlington Heights

• Dinan Field in Stanton Heights

• Pine-Richland School District Baseball Boosters

Westmoreland County

• Borough of South Greensburg

• Communities, Inc. (Murrysville)

• Norwin Community Athletic Association/ Norwin Little League

• Police Athletic League of North Huntington

• South Greensburg Recreation