Chevrolet Hits Home Run with 'Dream' Baseball Diamond At Weymouth Township Municipal Complex

WEYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, N.J., April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

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What started as a simple online ZIP code nomination by area-resident Michael Goldberg became a boon for local baseball teams when a Weymouth Township municipal field was chosen as one of five winners of Chevrolet's 'Building Diamonds and Dreams' program.  

Local winner Goldberg selected Weymouth Township to be the beneficiary of the field renovation.  The township's only usable baseball field received the renovation, which primarily will benefit the West Atlantic County Youth League, which offers youth sports programs for area residents.

"It's a nice feeling to help others, especially the children," said local winner Michael Goldberg. "Weymouth Township is a rural area and this gift means a lot to them."

Now that spring is here and the baseball season is about to start, the entire community is invited to join Frank C. Craig, Mayor of Weymouth Township as he commemorates the 'new' field at a dedication ceremony on Friday April 8 at 4:00 PM at the Weymouth Township Municipal Complex, 45 South Jersey Ave., Dorothy, NJ 08317.

The 2010 Building Diamonds and Dreams program, sponsored by Chevrolet and The Scotts Company, was an online promotion where fans of local youth baseball teams nominated their community for a chance to win a field makeover.  Five winners were drawn from all entries and the winners chose the youth league of their choice to receive the professional field renovation.  In addition to winning the field makeover, local winner Goldberg won the grand prize – a new Chevrolet vehicle. Goldberg chose a 2011 Chevy Traverse.

"We can't believe our good fortune," said Goldberg. "My wife and I especially like all the safety features of the Traverse.  It's a very comfortable car and whether we go shopping or to a sporting event, it's our ride of choice."    

The refurbishments focused on the aesthetics and playability of the field by providing major league quality materials for the renovation. For the Weymouth Township Municipal Complex, the makeover included grading the infield, sod installations including cutouts, batter's box material and warning tracks, the extension of an in-field irrigation system, baseboards added to the fence line, infield materials added to dugouts, a reconstructed pitcher's mound, and yellow fence caps added to the side poles along the backstop and dugouts for safety and uniformity.  Renovations were completed in October of 2010 by Ripken Design, the sports design and consulting firm owned by National Baseball Hall of Famer, Cal Ripken, Jr. and 12-year Major League Baseball veteran, Bill Ripken.

"Chevrolet's 'Building Diamonds and Dreams' program is another facet of our commitment to youth baseball programs across America," said Phil Caruso, Chevrolet Marketing Manager.  "Every young ball player wants and deserves a 'dream' baseball diamond, and Chevrolet, along with our partner, The Scotts Company, is proud to have brought one to the Weymouth Township community."

Chevrolet is proud to be the "Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball." Through the Chevy Youth Baseball program, Chevrolet supports youth baseball leagues in communities across the country.  Since its beginning in Atlanta in 2006, Chevy Youth Baseball has benefited more than one million youth baseball players and their families. More information about the 2011 Building Diamonds and Dreams program can be found at chevybaseball.com.

Scotts, the Official Lawn Care Company of MLB, continues to partner with Chevrolet and MLB on multiple field refurbishments. Scotts believes that it is important to offer youth a safe, reliable field and playing area.  In addition to helping reduce injuries, a strong foundation of thick and lush grass helps to create a beautiful outdoor environment that encourages children to spend time outdoors.

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly to gas-free" solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro

With approximately $3 billion in worldwide sales, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In the U.S., the Company operates Scotts LawnService®, the second largest residential lawn care service business.  In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligene® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com.

SOURCE General Motors