Celeste Baseball to Benefit from Grant from the Jordan Casey Wright Foundation

THE JORDAN CASEY WRIGHT FOUNDATION RECEIVES GRANT FROM THE BASEBALL TOMORROW FUND

  (Celeste, TX) (Thursday, July 16, 2015) – The Jordan Casey Wright Foundation announced today that it was recently awarded a grant in the amount of $127,180 from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF). The grant will support Celeste Independent School District and provide funding for field lights. The field lighting equipment will be provided at a significant discount through a partnership between BTF and Musco Lighting, Inc., a leader in the sports lighting industry.

Purchasing field lights for Celeste High School’s baseball field has been more than fifteen-years-in-the-making with the first attempt made in 1999 when the field was originally constructed. Even though the task at hand came with an enormous price tag, $260,561.68 to be exact, this was the JCW Foundation’s first goal because baseball was Jordan’s favorite sport and this was an already-established desire shared by our small but strong community. We are excited because installing Musco’s Light Structure Green™ lighting system significantly extends practice field availability during the regular season and it allows both summer teams to begin practicing later in the evening, avoiding the extremely hot temperature of a Texas summer. Furthermore, Celeste can finally host tournaments throughout the year, and regular season home games can be scheduled later in the evening so that more community members, especially parents, can attend games after work.

Recipient Quotes

Jordan’s favorite Bible verses were James 1:2-4 which state, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” As Jordan’s eldest brother and president of the JCW Foundation, I have had a front-row seat to witnessing personal tragedy turn into something beautiful. Even though field lights could never brighten the darkness of losing my youngest brother, they can and will illuminate the night sky over Celeste, Texas, one practice, one game at a time.”

The Jordan Casey Wright Foundation President Joshua Eric Wright

“I would like to personally thank the Globe Life Texas Rangers Grant Program, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, Sharyland Utilities and all others who have donated to the Jordan Casey Wright Foundation to help us reach our goal. Through massive amounts of hard work and dedication, present and future student athletes of Celeste now have the privilege of playing America’s favorite pastime under state-of-the-art field lights.”

Celeste High School Head Baseball Coach Boe Parr

“On behalf of Celeste Independent School District, I would like to express my utmost appreciation to the JCW Foundation for the countless hours they have faithfully dedicated to this project in loving memory of Jordan Casey Wright as well as the Baseball Tomorrow Fund for their incredibly generous grant. This was a monumental task for our community, but hard work, persistence and generosity made this project possible.”

Celeste Independent School District Superintendent Brad Connelly

“After hearing about Jordan’s accident and JCW Foundation’s ambitious goal to provide field lights for the CHS baseball field, Musco Sports Lighting knew this was a project we wanted to support. Less than a year later, the lights are up and we could not be more thankful to have played a role in helping preserve Jordan’s legacy.”

Musco Sports Lighting Chris Johnson

Other major supporters of the project include (Sharyland Utilities, Celeste Independent School District, Solid Rock Fisheries, Globe Life Texas Rangers Grant Program, Carol McCaslin, Boe Parr, Jerry Ervin, Brad Connelly, Jeffrey Babers). The Jordan Casey Wright Foundation is still accepting in-kind and monetary contributions. Those interested in donating to the project may contact Joshua Eric Wright at JCWFoundation@gmail.com or (903) 408-7496.

About the Baseball Tomorrow Fund

The Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF) is a joint initiative between the Major League Baseball Players Association and Major League Baseball designed to promote the growth of youth baseball and softball throughout the world by awarding grants to support field renovation and construction projects, equipment and uniform purchases, coaches training material and other selected program expenses. Since its formation by the MLBPA and MLB in 1999, BTF has awarded more than 800 grants totaling over $27 million to non-profit and tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Asia. BTF also facilitates league-wide initiatives including the collection and distribution of new and gently used equipment to organizations in need as well as field maintenance education clinics. For more information, visit baseballtomorrowfund.com and follow BTF on Facebook, Twitter and MLBlogs.

 

About Musco

Musco Sports Lighting, a proud partner of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, has specialized in the design and manufacture of athletic field lighting for over 35 years. Recognized around the globe as the world-class leader in sports lighting, Musco’s Green Generation Lighting® enhances the playing of Americas favorite pastime while cutting energy costs and the impact on the environment. Working with many prestigious organizations worldwide, Musco has played a key role in developing guidelines for safe, efficient sports facilities. Musco is a proud partner with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Little League® Baseball and Softball, Babe Ruth League, Minor League Baseball, and the Amateur Softball Association. For more about Musco Sports Lighting, visit www.musco.com.

About the Jordan Casey Wright Foundation

Conceived in loving memory of Jordan Casey Wright, the JCW Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance for underprivileged athletic programs and student athletes. With strong initiative, the JCW Foundation has secured over $250,000 worth of support thanks to the generosity of programs and organizations such as the Globe Life Texas Rangers Grant Program, MUSCO Sports Lighting, and especially the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Celeste, TX to serve over 200 student athletes, the JCW Foundation connects underprivileged student athletes with financial sponsors through the CYSA Student Sponsorship Program as well as presents the annual JCW Foundation Scholarship to one, graduating CHS senior who demonstrates athletic involvement and honorable character. Visit www.jordancaseywright.org for more information.

July 30, 2015 Lighting Ceremony Invitation

After losing Jordan in a car accident on December 30, 2013, my family and I created the Jordan Casey Wright Foundation in his honor.  Because baseball was his favorite sport and lack of funding had already led to three, failed attempts to purchase field lights for Celeste High School, we soon began raising support to purchase Musco’s Light Structure Green™ lighting system.

Even though our organization was less than a year old, the Texas Rangers stepped up to the plate by awarding the JCW Foundation a $10,000 grant on September 10, 2014!  This support not only validated our organization in its infancy, but it also helped us become a finalist on March 31, 2015 for a Baseball Tomorrow Fund Grant. The grant, in the amount of $127,180.84, was the balance needed to purchase field lights.  On April 20, 2015, the grant was awarded; and on June 27, 2015, those lights were installed!

All this to say, as Jordan’s brother and president of the JCW Foundation, I have had a front-row seat to witnessing how much a community can be impacted by prayer, a little hard work and a whole lot of faith.  We could not have done this without you, so we don’t want to celebrate without you either.  Whether you bought a bracelet, said a prayer or wrote a check, you are officially and personally invited to join us on July 30, 2015, what would have been Jordan’s 18th birthday, at 8PM for a field lighting ceremony and a celebratory softball game between Jordan’s teammates and community adults who played a major role in this project’s success.

Sincerely,

JCW Foundation President and Jordan’s brother

Josh Wright

 

 

Please RSVP via jcwfoundation@gmail.com by Wednesday, July 29, 2015

 

 

Jordan Casey Wright Foundation Event Schedule

 

  • JCW Foundation Lighting Ceremony and Softball GameCHS Baseball Field – 609 FM 1562 Celeste, TX 75423
  • Thursday, July 30, 2015 at 8:00pm
  • 1st Annual JCW Foundation TournamentCHS Baseball Field – 609 FM 1562 Celeste, TX 75423
  • Saturday, August 1st and Sunday August 2nd 2015
  • Josh Wright Acoustic Concert Benefiting the JCW FoundationHighland Terrace Baptist Church – 3939 Joe Ramsey Blvd. E, Greenville, TX 75401
  • Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 at 6:00pm
  • Begin Raising Support for a New Celeste High Football, Track and Field Sports Complex
  • Monday, August 3rd, 2015
Tags:
Posted on: