Greg Jelks Baseball Development Fund Supports 2021 Rays Showcase

Baseball WA is excited to announce the first of its partners for the 2021 Rays Showcase running from Sunday, 3 January – Friday, 15 January.
 
The Greg Jelks Baseball Development Fund will support the Rays Showcase with a $5,000 donation. The fund was created to honour and acknowledge the impact and career of storied Perth Heat player Greg Jelks and his contributions to baseball in Perth and Australia after his shock passing in January 2017.

Through a series of events, merchandise sales, memberships and generous donations, the Greg Jelks Baseball Development Fund has raised money over the last three years to support and benefit Western Australian baseball players that compete on the world stage.

As part of the fund’s support of the Rays Showcase, all players will receive an additional GJ44 training cap and one from the fund’s partner Cap America.

​Jason Hewitt, co-founder and chairman of the Greg Jelks Baseball Development Fund, is excited to support the showcase. “Greg Jelks was an elite athlete from the time he was in high school in Alabama to his journey through the US Minor Leagues to the Major Leagues with the Phillies to representing his adopted country of Australia,” Hewitt said.
 
"The primary goal of the fund is to assist WA elite baseball players in high performance programs in honour of Greg, that is the reason the GJBD fund was created. Supporting elite programs such as the 2021 Rays Showcase in Perth is the ideal opportunity for the GJBD Fund to contribute to a program that will benefit the future of baseball players in Perth.”

“In light of the National U16 & U18 national tournaments being canceled in January 2021, this new initiative for the best 60 kids in Perth will provide a unique learning experience over 12 and gives the best young baseball players a taste of life as a professional baseball player without leaving the comforts of home.”
 
“The team at the GJBDF have worked hard to get the fund off the ground and we are very proud to be in a position to continue to contribute to the development of our local WA players and the costs associated with playing sport at the elite level.”
 
Catch all of the Rays Showcase action starting 4 January 2021 at Empire Stadium.