For eight weeks, 800 kids from 33 Toronto Community Housing (TCH) neighbourhoods will be getting physically active through the game of baseball. Blue Jays Baseball Academy Rookie League teaches the key skills of baseball, teamwork and participation on and off the field.

Now in its 23rd season, Toronto Blue Jays through the club's charitable arm, Jays Care Foundation, partner with TCH to operate Rookie League for kids aged 6-12 years. This provides an opportunity to remove barriers to be active in the sport of baseball and for some of the youth leaders; it is a chance to help out the same program they participated in years ago.

Participating players are provided with a hat, water bottle, back pack, glove and a t-shirt featuring a Toronto Blue Jays Honorary Division Captain; Ricky Romero, John McDonald, Aaron Hill, Rajai Davis or J.P. Arencibia. Coaches will wear the name of Honorary Division Coach, John Farrell. Each child goes home at the end of the season with a backpack full of school supplies to help prepare them for the school year ahead.

"Rookie League is an amazing program, it's fantastic to see all of these kids hurrying off their school buses and running out on to the fields at Stan Wadlow Park, excited to play baseball. We are thrilled to be able to both inspire participation in sport and provide an outlet for kids to play." -- Danielle Silverstein, Executive Director, Jays Care Foundation.

"Rookie League is as exciting for Toronto Community Housing as a towering Jose Bautista home run because it contributes to building safer and healthier communities by focusing on life beyond the baseball diamond," said Mitzie Hunter, Chief Administrative Officer, Toronto Community Housing. "It's about making friends and learning life skills like leadership, teamwork and fair play."

Rawlings has partnered to supply over $15,000 worth of baseball equipment to the program while Lesters and Chiovitti Banana Co. Ltd. will provide lunch to the kids for the duration of Rookie League. Additionally, CIBC will donate $15,000 and present the Team Spirit Award to the TCH community with the most creative team chant. Energizer Canada Inc. has kick started their positivenergy campaign with a $10,000 donation to the program.

Jays Care Foundation works to ensure that children in need have the opportunity to make positive choices in life by providing programs that support physical activity, education, and life-skill development.

Toronto Community Housing (www.torontohousing.ca) is Canada's largest social housing provider and home to more than 164,000 tenants with low and moderate incomes -- about six per cent of the City of Toronto's population. Toronto Community Housing employs 1,400 staff in a broad range of jobs, who deliver its mandate to provide affordable housing, connect tenants to services and opportunities, and work together to build healthy communities.