Michigan Baseball Foundation Receives Grant for $33,679

MIDLAND, Mich. - The Michigan Baseball Foundation (MBF) has been awarded a grant by the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) in the amount of $33,679 for the purpose of converting lights and occupancy sensors to LED lighting on the exterior and front entries of Dow Diamond.

MBF teamed up with corporate partners The Dow Chemical Company and Dow Corning Corporation in October 2012 with the goal of enhancing sustainability practices across all aspects of the organization. The Loons announced an ambitious goal to reduce total energy use, water use and waste by 50 percent by 2020. The grant from Saginaw Bay WIN will assist the Great Lakes Loons and Dow Diamond in achieving those goals.

"We are grateful for the partnership with Saginaw Bay WIN on this project," said Paul Barbeau, Loons President & General Manager. "This gift will accelerate our conversion to LED lighting fixtures. We hope our ambitious efforts to conserve energy resources will inspire other businesses and households to consider ways that they too can conserve resources and reduce costs."

The first phase of Dow Diamond's LED light and occupancy sensor conversions was completed in April 2013. The areas that phase one included were a main hallway, kitchen hallway, suite level and the guest elevator at Dow Diamond. The first phase cost $6,800 and its anticipated kilowatt-hour savings per year is $15,303.

A second phase of the transition of Dow Diamond's light and occupancy sensors to LED lighting will replace the light bulbs and fixtures in six different areas of the ballpark. These six areas of the park have heavy traffic and are in use the most with high energy light bulbs. The areas that this project would impact are the track lighting in the Loon Loft, both trophy cases on the main concourse, exterior lighting on the wall packs, front light posts, parking lots and façade lights. The second phase of the project will save 44,538 kilowatt-hours and reduces energy use by 2.6 percent annually.

In total, the project is estimated to save 59,841 kilowatt-hours and should reduce energy use at Dow Diamond by 3.6 percent annually.

Several local and regional partners have collaborated with MBF on sustainability projects, including Blasy Electric, Consumers Energy, Dow Corning, the Dow Chemical Company, Chippewa Nature Center, J.E. Johnson, Midland Volunteers for Recycling, Saginaw Bay WIN and Three Rivers Corporation.

The Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) is a collaborative, community-driven quality of life initiative created by a variety of environmental, business and community interests in 1996. WIN was formed to create a more sustainable future for all who live, work and play within the Saginaw Bay watershed. One of the ways in which WIN accomplishes this objective is by providing financial support to projects that link the economic, environmental and social needs of the region.

The Michigan Baseball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and public charity, which was formed in 2006 to generate regional economic development and to enhance the efforts of regional organizations that serve young people through creative partnerships and grants. The Michigan Baseball Foundation owns and operates Dow Diamond, home of the Great Lakes Loons, a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Foundation received its initial funding from The Dow Chemical Company Foundation, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, The Dow Corning Corporation, The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, The Charles J. Strosacker Foundation and The Bill and Linda Stavropoulos Foundation.