RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — Spring and baseball season is around the corner and upgrades at Wright Field in Ravenswood will be coming soon courtesy of Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds.
Ravenswood Mayor Josh Miller recently announced that the city and Board of Parks and Recreation received a $5,000 grant from the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund to go towards upgrades at the facility.
“We’re extremely thankful that they believed in us and gave our town an opportunity to grow our facility and provide more opportunities for student-athletes growing up,” Miller told MetroNews.
Proud to announce that the City of Ravenswood and Board of Parks and Recreation received a $5,000 grant from the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund to go towards upgrades at Wright Field. More details to come. #Ravenswood #WV #Recreation pic.twitter.com/oaJpJw5hq2
— Josh Miller (@joshmillerfilm) February 21, 2019
Miller said the city has been doing small projects to the field along with Ravenswood High School, who plays on that field, but this money will go a long way. He added that they are still deciding exactly what the fund will go towards but mentioned batting cages as a possibility.
“I’ve been a big believer from the very beginning when I took office that right now what Ravenswood needs is recreational opportunities,” Miller said. “That is what brings people into town and that is what people look for when they want to move to communities, like what do they have to offer for our children.”
Miller said he is proud of everyone who stepped up to make this grant happen from the city council to the parks and recreation office and commission along with Ravenswood High School and the grant writers. He said the town has a persistent group that is always looking ahead and have applied for as many grants as possible.
“In a small town with limited revenue, you have to do everything you can to pull in grant money, sponsorships, and public/private partnerships,” he said. “In a small town you can’t put that tax burden all on your citizens.”
Ravenswood is working with surrounding businesses to potentially match some of the funds received from the Reds, which would add more to the project.