Orlando Mayor Dyer, Commissioner Regina Hill Launch Youth City Baseball Program
Commissioner Regina Hill (foreground) and Mayor Buddy Dyer (center, in gray) greet the participants in the city's youth baseball program. Photo: Juan Carlo Rodriguez/Florida National News.
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Orlando City Mayor Buddy Dyer and District 5 Commissioner Regina Hill welcomed baseball back in full swing as they kicked off 2021’s youth baseball program, which had been suspended for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know last year [had] a physical effect on kids not being able to go outside, but also a mental toll, being used to playing games outside,” Mayor Dyer said, from the John H. Jackson Neighborhood Center, where the event took place. “We’re excited to see them get back outside.”
Commissioner Hill highlighted the importance of baseball in building community, not only in Florida, but all around the world. “I hear baseball, I hear apple pie, so many things that make the United States,” she said. “But right now, when baseball is also being played in so many parts in the world, it means so much more.”
The program is part of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) Play Ball initiative and is aimed to encourage the participation of children who don’t normally play the game of baseball and also to strengthen the connection with those who are currently involved in the game.
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Juan Carlo Rodriguez is a politics and entertainment reporter for Florida National News, part of the FNN News Network. | info@floridanationalnews.com