Aera renews park sponsorship to support America’s favorite pastime

More than 2,000 Bakersfield baseball youth and their families recently joined Aera Energy and the City of Bakersfield to kick off the baseball season and celebrate Aera’s renewal of its sponsorship of Aera Park—the company’s longtime community partnership with the city.

Aera’s $250,000, 10-year-sponsorship of the park will help maintain and upgrade fencing, shade structures, lighting and field equipment. Aera’s Senior Vice President of Operations Ted Witt threw out the ceremonial first pitch to kick off the season at the celebration.

Baseball players ages three to 15 from throughout Bakersfield use the facilities every day. Three- and four-year-old players will also get a new field to practice on that’s specifically designed for their age group — rather than practicing on a field designed for older kids, through Aera’s sponsorship.

“The City of Bakersfield and the Recreation & Parks Department are so grateful for this wonderful partnership with Aera Energy,” said Rick Anthony, Bakersfield’s Recreation & Parks director. “It’s been a great relationship and created a facility where our youth of all ages can play baseball.”

Aera originally provided $250,000 to open the park in 2007 through a joint partnership between the City of Bakersfield and Bakersfield Southwest Baseball (BSWB). The 40-acre baseball facility has 11 baseball diamonds of varying sizes, five lighted diamonds, spectator stands, a concession stand, restrooms, equestrian and bike trail, staging areas, and plenty of parking. In 2013, Aera donated an additional $32,000 to purchase seven scoreboards for the baseball fields.

See some of the media coverage from the event: