Lights up.

Let’s go.

Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays may recognize their team slogan for 2025.

And it’s partly thanks to the Blue Jays that softball players in Rothesay can say “Lights up. Let’s go,” next season.

The Kennebecasis Valley Girls Softball Association (KVGSA) hosted a special ceremony at the Wells Recreation Park Friday night.

For the first time in Rothesay, a ballfield was fully illuminated.

Wells Recreation Park is home to the first ballfield in Rothesay with lights. Image: Bryan Tait | Acadia Broadcasting

Maddy Morrison, who will play for the U11 Dynamite next season, was the lucky player chosen, and with the help of Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant, they flipped the switch and lit up the night.

A long time coming

The softball field in Wells was opened in 2014, and is one of three in the Kennebecasis Valley the association uses.

There are currently 43 teams with more than 400 players ranging from U5 to U19.

KVGSA president Stacy Blois said the league had been dealing with increasing numbers, a longer waitlist and it was difficult to get playing time for all the girls.

“There’s an adjacent soccer field that we had to move our little girls to,” Blois said, referring to the U5 and U7 teams.

Blois said the KVGSA was working with the Town of Rothesay, telling them the league was growing larger.

“We keep growing and kind of joked a little about, ‘Well, all we need is lights,’” she said.

This is where the Blue Jays enter the story.

In early 2024, Blois said she came across an initiative the Jays Care Foundation, the official team charity of the Blue Jays. Blois said organizations could apply for funding for projects related to baseball and softball.

KVGSA president Stacy Blois. Image: Bryan Tait | Acadia Broadcasting

She asked the town if they were OK with the KVGSA applying for the funds and maybe using it for lights. The town said go ahead.

Blois said Charles Jensen with the Town of Rothesay was their biggest advocate throughout the process.

“He, no pun intended, went to bat for us,” she said.

The initial process involved submitting a 20-page application. Then the league made it to the final round.

“Once you made it to the final round, you had to provide projections on your membership and what you could do if they gave you this money to complete your project,” Blois said.

In May 2024, the KVGSA found out they had come out on top. The Toronto Blue Jays gave them $50,000 to help put lights on the field.

From that moment, it was a matter of raising an additional $100,000.

“Our board got together and made a list of local businesses that might want to contribute,” Blois said.

Blois said sponsorship packages were put together and businesses were approached. Members of the KVGSA were busy selling T-shirts, selling hot dogs at canteens.

“One little girl even sold her own jewelry at a market and gave her $50 she made towards the project,” Blois said. “One little softball player.”

Thanks to their efforts, including 50/50 draws and prize draws, in June of this year, the fundraising was completed.

“The generosity in this community is unbelievable,” Blois said.

Even businesses that couldn’t contribute money were eager to offer merchandise the association could sell or include in a raffle.

The town had already added their contribution, and even though there is still some outstanding funding from the Jays, the lights went up over the summer.

Let there be light

The hope had been to have them ready earlier in the year, but on Friday night, in the words of Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant, “Let there be light.”

Because of the lights, Blois said the scheduling for all the girls will be easier now.

“They don’t have to share the field quite as much and everyone will be on the ‘real field,’” she said.

Blois said it means the older players can start their games later in the evening, opening up earlier field time for the younger players.

Players, coaches and supporters gathered at Wells Recreation Park to celebrate the new lights on the softball field. Image: Bryan Tait | Acadia Broadcasting

“There’s about 125 girls aged U5 and U7 in our program that we can put on the ballfield,” she said.

The association also plays games at Meenan’s Cove Park, which also has lights, and Centennial Park near the Q-Plex, which does not.

Despite the cool temperatures Friday, players ran the bases and hit batting practice to get a sense of what they can look forward to next year.

Special guests to come in the spring

Despite the contributions of the Blue Jays, no one from the team was able to attend Friday’s event. They are, after all, in the middle of a playoff run.

But Blois said they’re planning to come in the spring and have an official kickoff.

“I actually was in Toronto last week and I met with the girl from the Jays Care Foundation,” Blois said. “She said go ahead, open your field and in the spring we’ll come do an official opening.”

Blois said she doesn’t know who will attend, but the players are excited to find out.