Manny Acta, pride of the town of Consuelo, San Pedro de Macorís.

For Manuel Elías Acta, better known as Manny Acta, “he who lives and dies without making an impact on someone else’s life, never existed.” And that is why through his ImpACTA Kids Foundation, the pride of the community of Consuelo, municipality of San Pedro de Macorís, he has been carrying out a sports complex in this humble village of the eastern region.

The leader of the Cleveland Indians in Major League Baseball, the dominican Manny Acta, created the foundation in 2007 with the purpose of providing opportunities for children to achieve their dreams, both in the Dominican Republic as well as the United States, emphasizing on the importance of education, health and sports. The organization works with like minded people and organizations around the world.

Manny Acta and ImpACTA Kids Foundation have begun building a baseball complex in the town of Consuelo, Dominican Republic, called “Land of Cocolos”, which are carrying out a series of projects that seek to remove children from crime and encourage them through healthy sports.

The construction of this complex began on November 18, 2008, when they first broke ground in this broad field, with the presence of Felipe Payano, Minister of Sports.

The complex consists of three stadiums that bear the names of three prominent players native of this city, Sammy Sosa, Ricardo Carty and Julio Cesar Franco, as well as a multipurpose center, which has been named Alfredo Griffin.

On January 20, 2009 the first and greatest of all the stadiums, was inaugurated  named after major league player Samuel “Sammy” Sosa, the first Dominican to connect more than 600 home runs and who has gained great popularity and admiration of Dominican people. Later that same year 2009, on December 18, the second stadium, that his complex houses, was inaugurated, named after one of the most feared players that this beautiful island has produced, Ricardo “Rico” Carty.

On February 4 this year 2011, the multipurpose educational complex was inaugurated and named after Alfredo Griffin, who won Rookie of the Year in the American League in 1979 with the Toronto Blue Jays and is also the current coach of the Angels of Anaheim. On this day as well was when they first broke ground to begin the construction of the third and last stadium of this complex, which will be named Julio Cesar Franco, winner of the batting leadership of the American League in 1991 with the Texas Rangers.

In this act, Griffin thanked Acta’s gesture for having taken into account his name to highlight this important educational complex, which will also serve as an administrative building, virtual library and meeting room.

In a turbulent time in which there are struggles to raise education levels and lower crime rates, Manny Acta’s intention is to try to guide the youth of his hometown through better paths.

“Our interest is that the boys study, have good health and stay away from things that do not lead them in the right path,” said Acta.

Acta said that not only should sports be practiced, but that education is the first thing to be embraced, because it is what enables the individual to grow as a social being and allows for better physical and mental development through the knowledge acquired.

The Kids ImpACTA Kids Foundation will continue impacting the lives of children.