The Fredericksburg Nationals and Germanna Community College are partnering on several initiatives that will highlight the history of baseball in Fredericksburg and provide educational opportunities for local students.
The program is also being done in conjunction with the FredNats’ partnerships with the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Dovetail Cultural Resource Group, both of whom are providing substantial resources to bring the history of baseball in Fredericksburg to the new ballpark.
Included among the initiatives is the Jackie Robinson Writing Contest and Scholarship Fund that is open to all high school students in the Fredericksburg and surrounding counties. Five annual scholarships of $1,042 will be awarded to winners selected by a board made of members of the FredNats and Germanna’s choosing.
High school juniors and seniors from the Germanna service area which includes Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Orange, King George, Madison and Caroline are eligible to participate.
The entry information and form is available at www.germanna.edu/42essay, and students should submit essays by April 15.
The five winners of the $1,042 scholarships will be awarded at the FredNats home game against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Friday, May 29.
As an interactive element of the ballpark, Germanna Community College, in conjunction with the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Dovetail Cultural Resource Group, are creating an 80-foot-long History Pavilion on the back of the “batter’s eye” of the stadium outfield concourse. This pavilion includes a wall that will highlight various historical events relating to baseball in Fredericksburg.
The wall design and elements are being finalized and is expected to be installed in the stadium in late May.
Germanna, in partnership with the historical research completed by Dovetail and FAM, will produce several episodes of “History Minutes of Fredericksburg” to be displayed pregame in the ballpark. Episodes will highlight significant historical events in Fredericksburg related to baseball.
The first history minute featuring the historical Walter Johnson coin toss across the Rappahannock from 1936 was released during the partnership announcement.
The video is available for viewing at youtu.be/5ApyNXY7K8Q.
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Chris Graham
