Oakland Field of Dreams
How You Can Help: Contributions &Sponsorships. We invite you to visit thefield on 45th St. in Oakland, one blockeast of Telegraph Avenue. We welcome
individual contributions in any amount tohelp us maintain this inner-city jewel, andto keep the dream alive for Oakland’syouth. OFOD is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
charitable organization (EIN 38-3802277).
Personal checks should be made payable
to Oakland Field of Dreams, and sent(with your name, e-mail address & telephone number) to:On the Horizon. One major “wish-list” item
is a regulation girls’ softball field on an adjoining portion of the site. OFOD’s more immediate goal is to improve Rickey Henderson
Field with these enhancements:♦ Electronic scoreboard♦ Improved drainage, irrigation & landscaping♦ Electrical service/outlets & PA system♦ Finished warning track♦ Covered/all-weather batting cages♦ Additional bleachers, foul ball screens, & netting

Attn: Hank Levy, Treasurer/OFOD
c/o Henry C. Levy & Co.
5940 College Ave.
Oakland, CA 94618

supports and promotes
inner-city youth baseballfor Oakland’s communities

http://oaklandfieldofdreams.org/
BEFORE

If you’re a local business owner, merchantor service provider, ask us about sponsoring an affordable, on-field advertising banner to showcase your business year-round.
E-mail us: info@oaklandfieldofdreams.org
For details, please visit our website:
http://oaklandfieldofdreams.org/AFTEROakland Field of Dreams
Background
How It Began. It all started in 2007,
when a small group of Oakland
Technical High School (Tech) parents,
alums and coaches had a bold idea:
Tech’s “home” baseball field was far
away and in poor condition, yet onlyblocks away, a school with a spacious
playground was being decommissioned.
Could a new baseball field be built on thesite of the former Carter Middle School? An
informal volunteer group—the Field ofDreams Committee—was quickly formed
to find out.
Securing the Site. The Committee
obtained authorization from Oakland
Unified School District (OUSD) to use
the site for a new field, and OUSD
subsequently contributed $60,000
toward the project. The Committee
also partnered with the nonprofit

California nonprofit
corporation.)publicbenefit

The New Field Takes Shape. Less than ayear later, a grassroots effort had (1)raised over $200,000 in cash donations
from the Oakland community to fundconstruction of the project and (2)secured in-kind contributions (labor,materials & “sweat equity”) valued at over
$150,000.
Although the field—now
known as Rickey Henderson Field—was
ready for baseball in April 2008, theproject is still far from complete.
Community Asset. Rickey Henderson
Field is one of only a few baseball fields
in North Oakland. It is heavily utilized
year-round, not only by Tech baseball andother Oakland Athletic League teams,
but also by Oakland Intl. High School

Rickey Henderson and Friends at the Field Dedication Ceremony, October 3, 2009

Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation,
as fiscal agent, to receive charitable
contributions from the community. (In2009, the informal Committee became
Oakland Field of Dreams (OFOD), aand youth baseball programs throughout
Oakland and the Bay Area: North
Oakland/South Oakland Little League’sJuniors & Seniors Divisions, plus
Challenger Division for physically andmentally-challenged youth; AmericanLegion; Oakland Babe Ruth League,and tournament play. Each year, thefield provides “a place to play” in anurban setting for hundreds of young
players, including at-risk youth in thelocal community.
Operating & Maintenance Funds
Needed. OFOD is an all-volunteer
organization, and as such, Techparents, players and community
members log many hours taking careof the field. But OFOD urgently
needs cash donations to cover ongoing
operating costs, field materials andprofessional labor to maintain thefield properly.