The city is still seeing the benefits of a baseball tournament over a year after it was held.
Thunder Bay International Baseball provided city council with a final report on the 20120 World Junior Baseball Championship that was held in Thunder Bay in the summer of 2010.
The 12-team event, which saw over 50,000 people attend, was such a success that Thunder Bay International Baseball has a $278,000 surplus and brought up to $7 million to the region.
On top of creating a reserve fund to bring future events to the city, the group is giving some of the money back to the community through its Baseball Development Fund.
Pro Kids, which helps local aspiring athletes get into sports when they can’t afford it, received $5,000 from Thunder Bay International Baseball Monday night. Pro Kids coordinator Laura Daniele said the money will pay baseball and softball registration for children who need it. While local sporting organizations do provide some free spots, the demand from local children fills those spots up.
“I don’t know where we’d be without the support of the community,” Daniele said.
Daniele said children identify themselves through sports and that getting to play is an important part of growing up.
“We want to make sure that kids who don’t have the funds are able to bring that passion with them as they grow into adulthood,” she said.
Every year a group will be chosen to receive the funding.
