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Sutter Health and the Sacramento River Cats Give Encina Preparatory High School a Field of Dreams

More than 100 Volunteers Overhaul Varsity Baseball Field

SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 8, 2008 “Our baseball field was in such bad shape – one season it actually looked more like a lake than a field,” said Brian Mitchell, athletic director for Encina Preparatory High School. “The water was so deep that year you couldn’t even see home plate. The seagulls played (in the water) on the field more often than the players that season.”

Now, thanks to the hard work of scores of volunteers organized by Sutter Health and the Sacramento River Cats, Encina Preparatory High School’s varsity baseball field has been transformed from that swampy mess of weeds, water and rotting wood into a “field of dreams.”

“It’s fantastic!” added Mitchell.

For the past seven years, Sutter Health and the Sacramento River Cats have joined together to meet community health needs. This second annual “field of dreams” project provides much-needed facility improvements, promotes physical activity, enhances school pride and extends community health beyond hospital walls.

Volunteers helped give the field a complete overhaul including:

Professional in-field makeover
Installation of portable scoreboard
Renovation of batting cage
Reconstruction of backstop/dugout benches
Installation of brand new bleachers
Home run fence guards
Gardening
New foul poles

“As Yogi Berra once said, ‘you can observe a lot by watching,’” said Sutter Health President and CEO Patrick Fry. “As a leading provider of health care, our network’s doctors, nurses and other health care providers have observed first-hand the effects of poor health in our communities. The “field of dreams” is one example of how we’re partnering with our communities to promote physical activity, healthy eating and creative approaches to ending childhood obesity.”

“The River Cats are thrilled to partner with Sutter Health on the 2nd Annual Fit-for-Life Baseball Field Makeover project,” said Alan Ledford, River Cats president, general manager and COO. “We salute Sutter Health and their commitment to bringing better health to our community through creative programs like this and are glad that the River Cats could play a role in this project.”

Sutter Health invested $25,000 to this project and the River Cats coordinated equipment, manpower, knowledge and expertise. The River Cats also have worked diligently with a number of local companies to make the generous donation from Sutter stretch even further.

Encina Preparatory High School was selected as this year’s recipient in part because of its approach to developing the “whole student” by focusing on academics, athletics and building individual character through social interaction.

“We are pleased that we were selected as the site for a baseball makeover sponsored and funded by Sutter Health community in partnership with the River Cats,” said Myrtle Berry, principal of Encina Preparatory High School. “The baseball field was in dire need of the makeover. This makeover will give our students the necessary motivation to excel not only on the field but also in the classroom. Most importantly, it a great boost for school pride as well as community pride.”

The not-for-profit Sutter Health network has a longstanding commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of communities throughout Northern California. In 2006, it invested $483 million in providing care and services for the poor and underserved and in benefits for the broader community.

Contacts
Sutter Health
Kami Lloyd
(916) 286-6680
lloydk@sutterhealth.org

Sutter Health Media Line
(916) 286-6695 or (800) 428-7377

River Cats
Gabe Ross
(916) 376-4850 (direct)
(916) 607-4850 (cell)