***MEDIA ADVISORY - CITY OF PATERSON, NJ***

14 YR OLD COMMUNITY LEADER TO HOST INAUGURAL BASEBALL GAME FOR PATERSON YOUTH

Ajay Tolia brings together young baseball enthusiasts from Oasis - a Haven for Women and Children and the Wladyka Baseball Club.

Paterson, NJ – On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, Mayor Andre Sayegh will join fourteen year old community leader, Ajay Tolia for the Youth Get Next (YGN) Inaugural Baseball Game, an exciting community event bringing together young baseball enthusiasts from Oasis - a Haven for Women and Children and the Wladyka Baseball Club.

The inaugural baseball game marks a significant milestone in Ajay Tolia's initiative to introduce baseball to children in underserved communities. Over the past year, Ajay has engaged with students in Newark and Paterson, with a notable focus on the Oasis in Paterson. His journey began by tutoring 3rd and 4th graders and expanded into organizing nearly weekly baseball clinics for 20-30 students in the Oasis parking lot.

Through collaboration with community partners and recruitment of fellow players and Head Coach Jim Wladyka from the Wladyka Baseball Club, Ajay has orchestrated a comprehensive program, including an equipment drive that has successfully collected essential baseball gear for the Oasis students. Players from the Wladyka Baseball Club who helped run this program included Aidan Ackermann, Wayland Burdick and Matt Palmieri.

The game, set at historic Hinchliffe Stadium before a New Jersey Jackals game, offers Oasis students an invaluable opportunity to experience a real baseball game environment. The event includes access to professional facilities such as the scoreboard, dugouts and interaction with Jackals players.