Lifeline hosting 'Imagination Night at the Ballpark' June 15
May 10—Lifeline, Inc. is hosting its third annual "Imagination Night at the Ballpark" June 15 at Classic Park in Eastlake to benefit the "Lake County Imagination Library Project."
In partnership with the Lake County Impact Club of Mentor Rotary, the community action agency invites the public to join staff, board members, and supporters to raise funding and awareness for the promotional literacy campaign.
The Lake County Captains will play the Fort Wayne TinCaps at 7 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m.
An Imagination Library participant will throw the first pitch, officials noted.
Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased at fevo-enterprise.com/event/Imaginationlibrary2 through June 14.
Half of the proceeds of tickets sold via the link will benefit the Lake County Imagination Library.
According to Lifeline Executive Director Carrie Dotson, special pre-game activities will be held on the field for all Imagination Library participants in attendance and each will receive a gift bag in celebration of the project's fourth (overall) anniversary.
"Throughout the night Lifeline's Imagination Library will have a station set up where game attendees can get selfies with our life-size Dolly Parton cut-out, enroll their kids in the Imagination Library or purchase raffle tickets to support the Imagination Library," she said.
Launched in 2020, Lifeline's Lake County Imagination Library is an affiliate of the Imagination Library of Ohio and the International Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Parton started the Imagination Library in Sevier County, Tennessee, in 1995, and during the past 25 years, the program has evolved across the country and to the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland.
To improve kindergarten readiness, instill a love of learning and bolster literacy rates, the program provides one new book each month mailed to enrolled children under the age of 5 at no charge to the family.
Lake County Imagination Library actively outreaches and enrolls children weekly and splits the cost of each book with the state program.
All funds raised during Night at the Ballpark will directly benefit Lake County participants, which total over 6,800 children, Dotson noted, adding the Imagination Library is supported by the United Way of Lake County, The Lubrizol Foundation, the Western Reserve Junior Service League and private donors.
"Without the funds raised at events like Imagination Night at the Ballpark, we wouldn't be able to afford to sustain our Imagination Library Program for Lake County's kids (as) 6,800 kids come at a cost to our community of nearly $8,000 a month," she said. "I think it's also a little unique to have two private sector entities, like the Lake County Impact Club of Mentor Rotary and the Lake County Captains, partner with a nonprofit to raise funds for a common cause, so we're very fortunate to have their partnership."
Sponsorship opportunities for Imagination Night at the Ballpark are available through May 17.
Contact Rebekah Jones at 440-354-2148 or rebekahj@lclifeline.org for additional information.
