Events :: The ImpACTA Kids Foundation

Archive for Events

Manny Acta and The Impacta Kids Foundation Open New Ballpark

January 4, 2013 Mike No Comments » Events, Press

Manny Acta, president of the Impacta Kids Foundation, inaugurated the fourth training Little League baseball field in the municipality Consuelo, San Pedro de Macoris city in the Dominican Republic.

The stadium was named after the late baseball player and pride of the Municipality of Consuelo, Rafael (El Gallo) Batista. The dugouts are also marked with the names of former military baseball players, Guillermo Arrendel (Aranda) and Miguel Peguero Fabian.

In the opening ceremony, the Batista family appreciated the gesture of Manny Acta in recognizing Mr. Batista. Also, Guillermo Arrendel as well as Miguel Fabian thanked the distinction.

Manny Acta, meanwhile, visibly moved, stressed the qualities of Rafael Batista, as a human being and his major impact in the winter ball season in the Dominican Republic.

With the opening of this training field, The Impacta Kids Foundation, chaired by Manny Acta, has already built four baseball fields for the use and enjoyment of the Little League baseball.

In the past baseball fields such as the ”Sammy Sosa”, “Rico Carty”, “Julio Cesar Franco”, as well as the “Alfredo Griffin” school were opened in these same grounds.

The Rafael Batista baseball field has a dimension of 150 feet 165 and 150, where children ranging from 9 to 11 years of age will have the chance to practice some baseball while having a good time.

Manny Acta Baseball Clinic taught hundreds of children of Consuelo.

January 4, 2013 Mike No Comments » Events, Press

For the fourth consecutive year, Manny Acta, President of Impacta Kids Foundation, the Players Major League Baseball Players Association taught some baseball fundamentals to more than 400 children in the municipality of Consuelo, San Pedro de Macoris.

The meeting was held in the Manny Acta Sports and Educational field, who currently has the Sammy Sosa, Rico Carty, Julio Cesar Franco fields as well as the Alfredo Griffin school.

Among the players who participated in the clinic were Emilio Bonifacio, Esmil Rogers, as well as former players Julio Cesar Franco, Alfredo Griffin, Luis Mercedes, Francisco Morales, Andres Santana, Hector Eduardo, Alberto Lois, Beban Roy Luis, Juan Ramón Bernhardt (Moncho).

After the clinic was finished, the hundreds of kids received a delicious lunch, and spa in the recreation center “El Compadre”, which is located on the outskirts of the municipality Consuelo.

Celebrity Bowling Fundraiser Gallery

October 2, 2012 Mike No Comments » Events, Photos

Celebrity Bowling Fundraiser

Acta, Indians mingle with fans at charity bowling event

August 27, 2012 Mike No Comments » Events, Press

Proceeds help provide scholarships in Cleveland, build homes in Dominican

By Zack Meisel / MLB.com

CLEVELAND — The Indians threw some strikes during Thursday’s off- day.

Riding an eight-game losing streak, the club returned to Cleveland in time for Manny Acta’s second annual charity bowling fundraiser. The event, run by the ImpACTA Kids Foundation, is used to provide scholarship opportunities to kids in Cleveland, build homes in Acta’s native country, the Dominican Republic, and help other needy children in both areas.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s happening at this time, the way things are with our baseball club,” Acta said. “But we just want to give back to our fans. Unfortunately, it’s probably not the happiest time for them, but we’re here doing our part, and it’s a great time for our players to come out here and mingle with our fans.”

This year, some of the money raised went toward a new ambulance for the Dominican.

“That’s going to be very helpful for the people back home,” Acta said. “Part of the proceeds from this is going to go toward shipping it down there to the people that really need it.”

A slew of Indians players and front-office executives attended the event, including CEO Paul Dolan, president Mark Shapiro and general manager Chris Antonetti. Jack Hannahan, Lou Marson,

Jason Donald, Carlos Santana and a collection of teammates and coaches joined. The Cleveland celebrities bowled with and signed autographs for fans, who were treated to dinner, drinks and a raffle.

Justin Masterson, widely regarded in the home clubhouse as the team’s best bowler, said his fortune on the lanes has rivaled his tough luck on the mound.

“Lately, my luck in bowling has been the same,” Masterson said. “I’m good at knocking down all but one pin. I keep getting a bunch of nines.”

Masterson said it’s easier to throw a strike on the mound than to bowl one, adding that knocking down 10 pins is more rewarding than hitting his catcher’s mitt one time.

“If you do the little dance after you throw a strike in baseball, or even if you strike somebody out and do a little dance, I don’t think people would like it,” the 6-foot-6 right-hander said. “But if you get three strikes in bowling, you have to do the turkey dance. Maybe I should start doing the turkey dance on the mound.”

Masterson, referencing a turkey, or a stretch of three consecutive strikes, appreciated the opportunity to assist Acta in his fundraiser.

“Manny does a great job of helping people out,” Masterson said. “When it comes to his home in the Dominican, but also here in the States, he loves the game of baseball and has such a heart to impact kids’ lives.”

Last year, the event fell on the day the Indians acquired franchise favorite Jim Thome, the club’s all-time home run leader. This season, it comes amid a stretch during which the Indians have lost 21 of 25. Acta was glad to have a distraction for the evening.

“I don’t think anything can take my mind off baseball,” he said. “It’s obviously my job and my passion. It’s great to have a day off and to have an event like this. Players will be able to come out and relax. We always say that baseball is our job and our passion, but it’s not our life. This is a really good event where we try to give back to our fans and connect with them, and it’s also for a good cause.”

Annual ImpActa event raises money for local scholarships and under-privileged children

August 27, 2012 Mike No Comments » Events, Press

The ImpACTA Kids Foundation hosted its annual charity fundraiser at the Corner Alley on East 4^th Street on Thursday, as it raised money to support causes in the Cleveland area and abroad.

Proceeds of the event supported two scholarships for local students, as well as the continued development of Manny Acta’s baseball academy and educational center in the Dominican Republic. Indians players and other local celebrities were on hand to interact with fans and support the foundations efforts.

The latest recipient of the foundation’s college scholarship was Halle Herringshaw, who graduated from Chardon High School last spring will attend John Carroll University this fall with the help of the scholarship fund.

“It’s absolutely great what Manny does and what the whole fundraiser does,” said Herringshaw. “It helps with a lot of college expenses. I’m going for Anesthesiology so I have a lot of years ahead of me of schooling so a scholarship really helps, and this is a really big one that helped me and relieved stress in applying for schools.”

The scholarship was a very pleasant surprise for her, she explained: “I was actually at work and my Mom called me and said, ‘Oh we’re going to the Indians game on Tuesday, you won the scholarship’ and I couldn’t believe it. I was really thrilled when I found out.”

In addition to the scholarship, the foundation has raised money to send an ambulance to the Dominican Republic to improve the health conditions of the local community.

Indians Pitcher Vinnie Pestano was one of many players on hand to support the ImpACTA Kids foundation. “They raise enough money to send an ambulance over there and they’ve got a great facility over there to keep them occupied and away from doing other stuff,” said Pestano. “It’s really great and all it takes is a couple hours of your time to come out here and interact with people and have some fun.”

The foundation was started in 2007, and this was the second year it held its fundraiser at the Corner Alley. Acta was very grateful for the community’s support of the event, and for the opportunity to support his childhood home.

“I grew up in a very poor community, and my dream was that if I was ever in a position to help out, I was going to,” said Acta. “Everyone’s support shows that people really care, and are really willing to make an impact in other people’s lives.”

– TribeVibe contributor Max Lom

ImpACTA Kids Foundation inaugurated modern computer center

June 14, 2012 Mike No Comments » Events, Press

CONSUELO, S.P.M.- The ImpACTA Kids Foundation in alliance with the Save the Children Foundation, USAID and Major League Baseball inaugurated a modern computer center in this county.

The computer center, designed to train the children of Consuelo, will function in the Alfredo Griffin Educational Complex, located on the Cocolos terrain.

This center was equipped with an inverter system, 4 computers, 20 Alpha Smart keyboards, a printing machine, scanner and copying machine.

The main table was hosted by Mr. Josué Ceballos, representative of USAID, Mrs. Peggy Morales, Community Affairs coordinator for MLB, Mrs. Carmen Acta, in representation of Manny Acta, president of the ImpACTA Kids Foundation and Mr. Ramón Pérez Tolentino, chairman of the Manny Acta league.

The blessing of the ceremony was led by Pastor Leonardo Hipólito Clemente of the Iglesia Bíblica Cristiana.

Pérez Tolentino thanked God and Manny Acta for all the contributions he has been providing the community.

“What we have inaugurated today is not just for the Manny Acta league, it is for all the sporting community of Consuelo, with hopes that our future athletes are prepared, organized and above all well educated”, said Pérez Tolentino.

Acta Awards Scholarships to Local Students

August 11, 2011 Mike 1 Comment » Events, Photos, Press

by: Anthony Castrovince/MLB.com

Manny Acta’s ImpACTA Kids Foundation has done wonders for the children in Acta’s hometown of Consuelo, in the Dominican Republic. Acta has built fields and a library facility on fields once covered by weeds, and he’s also sponsored a Little League program that bears his name.

But Acta’s charitable efforts aren’t limited to the Dominican. He has taken to Cleveland as his home away from home, investing in the futures of some of the area’s best and brightest students through a scholarship program that began last year, his first at the helm of the Tribe.

On Tuesday, Acta awarded scholarships to two bright and motivated students – Ashley Linston, a graduate of St. Peter Chanel High School, and John Maher, a graduate of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School. Linston will be attending the University of Cincinnati this fall, majoring in pre-pharmacy, while Maher will be attending the University of Dayton, studying computer engineering.

In order to be eligible to win the $2,500 awards, Linston and Maher participated in an essay contest, compiled a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.3 or better, enrolled in a four-year university for the fall and had plans to major in the field of science, technology or business. Each year, Acta is awarding the scholarships to one male and one female graduating senior in the greater Cleveland area who meets those criteria and has a financial need.

“I’m a part of this community now,” Acta said. “Our foundation is about making an impact on the lives of others, especially kids that are willing to give back to their community once they’ve achieved their goals.”

(Original Aricle @ – http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/2011/08/10/acta-awards-scholarships-to-local-students/)

ImpACTA Kids Foundation Donates Several Dozen Shoes to the Female Softball Team in Consuelo, DR

April 25, 2011 Mike No Comments » Events, Photos, Press

The donation ceremony took place in the Alfredo Griffin Educational Center by Carmen Acta, on behalf of Manny Acta, President and creator of the Foundation. The female softball players appreciated the gesture and contribution that the ImpACTA Kids Foundation made, benefiting the youth of Consuelo.

Team leaders of small towns such as Don Juan, Monte Coca, and Ab-4 could benefit from the next round of donations.

(Original article via Consuelo S.P.M. – http://www.consuelocity.com/noticias.aspx?index=11D7D47F-9FF1-4343-BBA9-284BE69E660B)

Grand Opening!

February 26, 2011 Mike No Comments » Events

In February, ImpACTA Kids Foundation celebrated the grand opening of the new educational center. The center is part of a project that includes two fields that are already in place and the third field to be completed this year.

Manny Acta, President and Founder of ImpACTA Kids, has long had a dream to build a facility for baseball that would give local kids a place to nurture their dreams and give them a chance to accomplish their goals on the field and in the classroom. Acta, himself, grew up in Consuelo and learned to play basebal on this very same property, where a cow pasture was converted into a makeshift baseball diamond, and rolled up socks and old broomsticks were the only equipment available. Today, Acta is giving back to his community that supported him and other baseball greats like, Sammy Sosa, Alfredo Griffin, Rico Carty and Julio Franco.

The day began with a ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by local and national dignitaries. After the Parade of Atheletes, they broke ground for the new baseball field, to be named after Julio Franco. The morning ended with a tour of the facilities’ Alfredo Griffin Educational Center, which provides computers and educational resources for the area children, followed by a luncheon for attendees.

All in all, the grand opening of the new ImpactaKids Foundation Educational Center was an important next step to the completion of a goal set by a young player who dreamed of making it to the big leagues and one day giving back to the community he loves.

Impacting Kids’ Lives

December 20, 2010 Mike No Comments » Events, Photos, Press

CLEVELAND — The reporters from the Washington newspapers wanted to visit Consuelo, in the San Pedro de Macoris region of the Dominican Republic.

They wanted to see the area where Manny Acta, who had recently been named the manager of the Nationals, grew up and groomed his game. The place where baseball became his love and his life.

Acta, proud of his roots and his standing as just the fourth Dominican-born manager in the big leagues, happily escorted the scribes that day late in 2006. But when the traveling party arrived to the location of the ballfields Acta grew up on, the manager’s mood darkened.

Those fields that had once stood as a source of unfettered joy and a symbol of unending possibility were covered in grass up to Acta’s knees. The spot from which the sound of the ball popping in the glove and jumping off the bat once emanated sat silent and empty.

“I wanted to cry,” Acta recalled. “It was a Saturday afternoon, and there wasn’t one kid playing baseball. It was just a mess.”

That’s the day the ImpACTA Kids Foundation was born.

Acta, now the manager of the Indians, created the foundation as a means of opening opportunities to kids who might not otherwise have them. The sugar factories that had formerly been the lifeblood of his hometown had closed down, the fields were no longer maintained and the remaining options available to the kids in the area were potential hazards.

“All those kids see is the drinking, the drugs and the violence in that little town,” Acta said. “At that time, there wasn’t one kid playing. So what were they doing? Obviously, not good things.”

Good things have come back to Consuelo, in the form of the baseball complex Acta’s foundation is building on that very spot. Two fields are complete and a third is in the works, as is a multi-use facility that will house a public library and restrooms.

The fields and the facility, which is slated to be in use by early February, are all named after the great players who hail from San Pedro de Macoris. The two completed fields bear the names of Sammy Sosa and Rico Carty, the third will honor Julio Franco and the library will be named after Alfredo Griffin.

Those names are Acta’s way of reminding the kids of Consuelo of their area’s rich history. And the fields are his way of influencing the future.

“When I was growing up,” Acta said, “I challenged myself that if someday I was in a position where I could help my community, I wasn’t going to change once fame and money showed up.”

Money comes to a big league manager from several directions. In addition to the salary provided by the team, there are endorsement deals from various athletic gear companies, as well as payments for regular radio and/or TV appearances.

Acta earmarks much of that extra cash for his foundation, about 95 percent of which he said is financed out of his own pocket. The fields are hand-built, and the foundation has no employees — just Acta and some friends and family members, doing what they can to serve the community.

Acta singled out performance gear supplier Under Armour as particularly helpful in donating equipment from its warehouse each year.

“We bring it down there and make a lot of people happy,” Acta said.

The complex began to take shape in the simplest of ways. Acta’s first donation was a lawnmower shipped to Consuelo to tackle the grass. But now, it has grown to become a well-manicured spot for kids to learn and enjoy the game.

The two fields currently in use are the home of Liga Manny Acta, a Little League program sponsored by Acta that is a separate entity from the charity foundation. Following next month’s Winter Meetings, Acta will return to the Consuelo complex for an MLB Alumni Association clinic.

Beyond the ballfields, Acta’s foundation has extended its impact into the Cleveland community. In 2010, Acta’s first year at the helm of the Tribe, ImpACTA awarded three $2,500 scholarships to three local high school seniors who had participated in an essay contest, compiled a grade-point average of at least 3.3 and enrolled in a four-year university with a plan to major in the field of science, technology or business.

“I’m part of this community now,” Acta said, “and our foundation is about making an impact on the lives of others, especially kids that are willing to give back to their community once they’ve achieved their goals.”

Inspired by that visit to his roots four years ago, Acta has achieved quite a bit with his foundation, which, for him, is a great source of pride.

“I wanted to leave something in the community for when I’m long gone,” he said. “The day I pass away, they can remember me not for winning the [Dominican Winter League] championship or managing in the World Baseball Classic or winning a World Series with the Cleveland Indians, hopefully, but because I left something there for the kids in the community.”

(Article Via: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101122&content_id=16178312&vkey=news_cle&c_id=cle)