More girls in the Kennebecasis Valley will soon be able to play softball thanks to funding from a national program.

The KV Girls Softball Association has received $50,000 from the Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Karen Parker, vice-president of the association, said they applied for the “Field of Dreams” grant in October and found out they were moving on to the next round in December.

“It wasn’t until mid-April that we found out we were a finalist and needed to host a watch party and watch the announcement live,” Parker said in an interview.

The 14 Field of Dreams recipients for 2024 were announced last Tuesday.

Parker said the association, which currently has about 400 members, will use the $50,000 to help install lights at Wells Recreation Park in Rothesay.

“We’re the largest association in New Brunswick. We are continuing to see growth every year. Because of that, we have limited field time and not all of our girls get to be on a ball field,” she said.

“By adding lights, it increases the amount of field time we have, and all of our girls will be able to be on the field.”

The vice-president adds the lights, which will add more than 230 hours of field time per season, will also help to eliminate the waitlist for those wanting to play the game.

Parker said the total cost of the lights is expected to be around $300,000. The association will look to raise much of that through its “Lite It Up” campaign, along with whatever support it receives from the Town of Rothesay.

The first fundraiser, a t-shirt designed by Printworks, is taking place until May 19. You can also reach out to Parker or President Stacy Blois to make a donation.

The association hopes to have the lights installed and ready to go for the start of the 2025 season.