Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Mayor Wild to Host WYAA Opening Day as Part of Major League Baseball's "Play Ball Summer"

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Mayor Wild to Host WYAA Opening Day as Part of Major League Baseball's "Play Ball Summer"

Westland, MI (April 19, 2018) - Mayor William R. Wild will host Westland youth in the Westland Youth Athletic Association (WYAA) Opening Day event as part of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) continued support of Major League Baseball's (MLB) "Play Ball Summer" initiative, which focuses on the fun nature of baseball and encourages an active lifestyle for kids in all communities. During the Summer of 2018 Mayors are implementing the initiative throughout cities with the goal of strengthening the connection of communities with the National Pastime.

The WYAA Opening Day event will take place on Saturday, May 5 at 11:45 a.m. at Jaycee Park, located at 6200 N. Wildwood. Approximately 125 children between the ages of 3 and 10 will kick off their 2018 season with multiple games being played throughout the day. The event will also feature police and fire vehicles, a DJ, the Michigan National Guard and their blow up obstacle course as well as food and drinks.

Mayors across the country are hosting activities with a baseball and softball theme to engage citizens, families and city departments through individual and community events. These activities will be focused on exposing children to baseball and softball while providing a fun opportunity to remain active throughout the summer.

"We are excited to participate in Major League Baseball's "Play Ball" program for the second year," commented Mayor Wild. "The initiative goes hand-in-hand with Westland's Passport to a Healthy City Initiative and gives us the opportunity to expose children to the All American Pastime in our All American City."

For more information, please call Aubrey Berman at (734)467-3200

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland Fire Department are licensed paramedics who responded to over 9,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.