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16 UCW JUNE 1 - 7, 2022
EVENT
Woodpeckers hit home run with youth baseball team
by CINDY WHITT
CINDY WHITT, Staff Writer. COM-
MENTS? Editor@upandcomingweek-
ly.com. 910-484-6200
Youth from the Boys & Girls Club have a chance to
play baseball thanks to the Fayetteville Woodpeck-
ers' recent donation of $10,000. e newly formed
"Junior Woodpeckers" will be showcased at the
team's home game against the Fredericksburg Na-
tionals on Saturday, June 18, at Segra Stadium.
e initiative is part of the Fayetteville Woodpeck-
ers Community Leaders Program, which generates
donations through corporate partnerships with
area businesses and through fundraising events
throughout the year. eir goal is to provide support
to youth sports and military service members and
their families.
e Junior Woodpeckers were formed to give chil-
dren the opportunity to participate in youth sports
without having to worry about the costs usually as-
sociated with extracurricular activities.
"e Junior Woodpeckers initiative was something
I wanted to put in place to be able to give children
in Fayetteville the same opportunities and kind of
level the playing field," said Kristen Nett, Fayetteville
Woodpeckers community relations manager. "I saw
that it was harder for some families to be able to pay
for their children to be involved in sports."
e donation to the Boys & Girls Club pays for
uniforms, equipment, registration fees and other
expenses related to playing in a baseball league.
Junior players will receive a custom jersey with the
Fayetteville Woodpeckers logo on the sleeve.
e "Junior Woodpeckers" is a 12U team that can
compete in the Fayetteville Parks and
Recreation youth baseball league. is
year's team formed in April.
"e goal is to have it be a yearly
(opportunity)," said Nett. "My goal is
to form a totally free baseball league in
Fayetteville. So, this is just the start."
"e Woodpeckers are really excited. I feel it's our
responsibility to be able to come into this commu-
nity and give back and do everything we can to help
others."
e Woodpeckers minor league baseball team
was established in Fayetteville in 2019 as a Single-A
affiliate of the Houston Astros. e team was for-
merly known as the Buies Creek Astros and played
on the campus of Campbell University.
When the franchise moved to Fayetteville, they got
a new name and a new home at Segra Stadium. Fans
were invited to suggest a new name for the team,
and the Woodpeckers was selected in honor of the
red-cockaded bird that was once found throughout
Fayetteville but is now an endangered species.
For more information on the Fayetteville Wood-
peckers or to buy tickets for the game, visit www.
fayettevillewoodpeckers.com.
e Fayetteville Woodpeckers donated $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Club for the Junior
Woodpeckers youth baseball team. (Photo courtesy of Fayetteville Woodpeckers)
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