Vineyard Baseball’s (VBI) Brick Fundraiser to help pay for a new backstop at Vineyard Baseball Park is well under way, as is the work itself. We couldn’t be more excited about this project and its impact on player and fan safety, obstructed views, and to the field’s overall character.

Some may not be familiar with the history of VBI and we thought it would be helpful for us to fill in some of the blanks. VBI is a non-profit organization founded more than a decade ago by a group of islanders who had a vision to build a great baseball field. They adopted a simple yet very meaningful mission statement: 

                       Promote, teach, and encourage the game of baseball on Martha’s Vineyard

Without their dedication and determination it is unlikely Vineyard Baseball Park would be here today. Since the field was built in 2006, VBI (and the Sharks following their formation as a Futures league team) have paid for all costs to operate and maintain Vineyard Baseball Park, as well as for all field and park improvements. We are proud to say that Vineyard Baseball Park has not cost MVRHS a penny and no team has ever been charged a fee to use the field. Last year we embarked on a two-year plan to restore, repair, and enhance the field. Year one primarily focused on field restoration and safety improvements projects while this year we are concentrating on off-field enhancements, including the brick backstop.

The cost of the new backstop exceeds $75,000 and, again, we will pay for this without it costing the school a single dollar.  The generosity of individuals and businesses make this possible, and we will be recognizing and thanking many in the coming months, all leading up to a special “Community Game” on June 9th - the entire island will be invited to attend free of charge to see what's been accomplished at the field and to help us thank all those who made it happen. (The Sharks will be playing an exhibition game vs the Cape Cod League's Wareham Gatemen that night.)

Thank you to those who have already responded and to those who have not we ask you to please consider supporting this special project by purchasing a brick (or bricks.) Are you one of the dozens of people who’ve sang the National Anthem before a game?  Play(ed) for the MVRHS team? Been part of an Honor Guard at a game? Interned for the Sharks? Been a Host Family? Been hosted by an island family? Have a Little Leaguer who dreams of playing on the field some day? Do you have a loved one you want to send a special message to? Have a child who’s been a bat-boy? Are you one of fewer than 150 players & coaches who’ve ever worn a Sharks uniform? For these reasons and many more let’s not build the wall with 7,000 blank bricks. Instead please chose and design your brick today and help us make the backstop a cornerstone of the Vineyard community. 

https://polarengraving.com/VineyardBaseballMVSharks