For immediate release

Heavy Hitters Score a Home Run for the Town of Miami Lakes with MLB and Scotts®!

June 3, 2022

Miami Lakes, FL – MLB and Scotts received nearly 400 grant applications across 47 states for the 2022 installment of the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program. This is the seventh consecutive year in which the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program is awarding field refurbishments to communities in need. The winning organizations were chosen by a special blue-ribbon panel, which included leadership from Scotts and MLB, as well as former MLB players. The Town of Miami Lakes is the only winner in the state of Florida and one of the four (4) Winners in the entire United States.

This Grant was sought after, and eventually awarded, with the Optimist Park Tee-Ball field in mind. As noted in the Town’s application, The Optimist Club of Miami Lakes provides baseball, softball, and tee-ball for children ages 4 to 15, allowing younger Miami Lakers of all abilities to participate in and play America’s game. With time, and in part to an active and involved sporting community, the field located at Optimist Park (6411 NW 162nd St) has been worn through use. With future baseball stars in mind, this field was in need of this welcomed refurbishment.

Also mentioned in the Town’s application was the fact that the Sports Hall of Fame —created to honor athletes, coaches, community members, and teams from the Town of Miami Lakes—is located at the Optimist Park Clubhouse. This park was the starting point for one Gustavo “Gus” Gandarillas, an eventual Major League pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers and inductee to the Town’s Sports Hall of Fame. An unnamed coach states “You can see the determination in [the kids]. They give it a 110% when they step there [Optimist Park baseball field]. It reminds me of how I felt when I used to play there as a kid.”

This shared belief among youth and the Town’s sports programs provide context for the importance of this field and its refurbishment. The Town of Miami Lakes is incredibly grateful and proud for its selection and looks forward to shaping the future of more young athletes. Special thanks to the Town’s team of Sebastian Riquelme, Renee Wilson, and Jeremy Bajdaun for their hard work on the Winning Application!

For more information on this grant and the Scotts® Field Refurbishment Program, visit: mlb.com/press-release/press-release-scotts-and-mlb-unveil-grant-recipients-of-the-2022-field-refurbish.