Winn-Dixie partnered with Tide and Bounty to donate $7,500 to Ponte Vedra High School to help boost its baseball and softball programs with needed equipment and facility upgrades.
The presentation took place following the first quarter of the Sharks boys basketball game against the Impact Christian Academy Lions on Dec. 17.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd was part of the celebration and presented the donation check to Ponte Vedra High athletic director Michael Harrison.
“It definitely takes you back and just understand how privileged I am right now to have the opportunity to play in the NFL, and all that started in high school,” Lloyd said. “That’s where you build your foundation and where the love of the game starts.”
According to Harrison, the donation will go toward installing new foul poles at both the baseball and softball fields as well as replacing the netting around the batting cages.
If there is any money left over after those projects, it will be used for general field maintenance.
The donation effort is made possible through the Tide and Bounty Neighborhood School Field Clean Up Campaign, where local students, parents, staff and supporters voted online for the school to be randomly selected as the winning recipient.
“This is our second year doing this, and it is really near and dear to our hearts, because we understand the importance of sports in school,” said Ryan Green, with the Proctor & Gamble Jacksonville team. “All the things that sports promote will help you as you traverse life.”
Lloyd had some time before the presentation to speak with members of the Sharks’ baseball team who were on hand, and he knows the money will go a long way in helping out the program.
“When I was younger, I didn’t have too many opportunities to come face-to-face with someone who was in the NFL or any professional league, so it’s cool to be in this position to give back,” Lloyd said. “I’m excited to see what this can do for these guys.”
