The Donnie Dwyer Ball Field in Saint John, New Brunswick will see upgrades this spring thanks to the help of Gulf Operators. 

A $10,000 donation will help refurbish the ball field, expanding the outfield to regulation size, allowing the Milford community to host softball tournaments.

An excavator, laborers, drainage pipes, and aggregate materials were organized by Gulf Operators to make this possible. On May 10th the company began clearing to extend the field. Since then, the community has felt the support from JDI, and in return, came out to assist in piling the brush to help the job run more smoothly. 

Ken Palmer, with the Milford Community Association, was at the ball field watching the excavators work. “We are very fortunate and it is extremely gratifying to have a neighbor like J.D. Irving, Limited who is willing to do this for the kids.”

To meet the regulation field size for softball in New Brunswick, the Donnie Dwyer Ball Field will need to extend 210 feet on either side. The ball field was well-used last year by the Lancaster Minor Softball Association, and according to the city will be used even more extensively this coming season.

The Milford Community Association has more than proven their fundraising capabilities. Their focus has always been the members of the community and improving infrastructure.

For Gulf Operators’ General Manager Ed Donelan the ball field has special meaning. “I have a daughter that has played at this field numerous times over the last several years, and I know the enjoyment that the girls get out of the local field so we thought it was a worthwhile cause, something we wanted to contribute to and give back to the community.” Connections like the one Ed has to the ball field are the roots that the city of Saint John is built on. 

The Gulf Operators donation will allow for future families to create memories in Milford and the greater Saint John area for years to come.