Baseball Club’s Charitable Arm Teams up with the Earth Conservation Corps

And Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington -- Hopkins Branch  

Nationals Park “Wall of Dreams” is Unveiled

The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation today announced partnerships with the Earth Conservation Corps and the Hopkins Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington as the Neighborhood Initiative, the Foundation’s third and final cornerstone program. The goal of the Neighborhood Initiative is to support small, non-profit organizations in the area surrounding Nationals Park with grants, in-kind donations and additional resources from both the Dream Foundation and the Washington Nationals Ballclub.

The Dream Foundation gifted the Earth Conservation Corps with a grant of $40,000 a year for three years to assist in their work with District youth and the revitalization of the Anacostia River . The ECC is a non-profit youth development and environmental service organization located on the Anacostia River , adjacent to Nationals Park . For nearly twenty years this organization has provided hundreds of unemployed, out-of-school youth, ages seventeen through twenty-five, with hands-on environmental training, career skills and leadership development training while working to restore the Anacostia River and surrounding communities. Nationals Park is the first stadium in the country to receive LEED certification status.

The Foundation has provided the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington – Hopkins Branch with a $50,000 gift in 2008 to hire a Teen Director for the Club. Located on the edge of Capitol Hill, the Hopkins Branch is operated out of the Hopkins public housing community and serves children ages five through nineteen. The clubhouse offers numerous cultural enrichment programs, computer labs and sports clubs for its one-hundred and forty-two members and is a place where children can receive help with homework and interact with their peers. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the official charity of Major League Baseball.

“The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation is committed to being good neighbors to the residents of the

Capitol Riverfront District,” said Marla Lerner Tanenbaum, Washington Nationals Dream Foundation Chair. “The health of the Anacostia River is a concern of all District residents and by partnering with the Earth Conservation Corps, the Nationals are assisting in its revitalization. Partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington – Hopkins Branch is a natural fit with the Foundation’s mission of focusing on programs that benefit children’s health, recreation and education”.

The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation today also unveiled the “Wall of Dreams”, located in the Center Field Plaza area of Nationals Park , directly across from the Strike Zone. Fans may purchase a baseball displaying their name, up to two lines of inscription and the year it was purchased to be showcased in the “Wall of Dreams”. Four levels of packages are offered, all including an authentic Rawlings MLB baseball. The Grand Slam, valued at $5,000, includes a gold-stitched baseball, a commemorative desk plaque and a certificate of appreciation signed by the Nationals player or coach of your choice. The Triple consists of a red-stitched baseball, and a certificate of appreciation for $2,500. A blue-stitched baseball, available for $1,000 is offered for the Double and a Single, valued at $250, is a green-stitched ball.  Placement  of the baseballs on the “Dream Wall” will be determined by the package level.

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The Washington Nationals Baseball Club and the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation are committed to community partnerships that improve the lives of children and families across the Washington Capital Region. The Foundation’s programs are focused on children’s education, health and recreation. In addition to the Neighborhood Initiative, the cornerstone programs of the Dream Foundation are the creation of the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, in partnership with the District government, that will teach the game of baseball and provide after-school educational programs for children in the District; and the creation of the Washington Nationals Pediatric Diabetes Care Complex at Children’s National Medical Center, a world-class facility that will provide a multi-disciplinary approach to supporting families of children with diabetes.

The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation 2008 Dream Gala will take place on Saturday, May 3 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. The Dream Gala serves as the primary fundraiser for the Foundation. For more information on the Dream Gala, the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation or to make a donation, visit WashingtonNationalsDreamFoundation.org.