BATTLEFORD — An open house on the afternoon of Feb. 8 was held at Saskatchewan Baseball Museum with hopes of generating renewed interest, enthusiasm and funds for this 40-year-old museum that brings the rich history of baseball in the province for all to see and experience.
At the open house, Jane Shury, President and CEO of SBHOF, told SASKTODAY.ca the interest generated has also helped them generate needed donations, so the museum is good to go for 2024, despite losing a request for government funding.
The open house offered a chance to meet local board members, staff and volunteers. The organization operates only on funds raised at fundraising projects. Each year, the museum inducts individuals, teams and communities into its Hall of Fame. The deadline for this year’s nominations is midnight, March 15 with nominations accepted at saskbaseballmuseum@sasktel.net
Membership annual fees are only $25 and a life membership is $200. Costs of operating the museum run somewhere around $70,000 each year Funds have been assigned for a special project that is digital preservation of this Hall of Fame and Museum. The past decade, this historical house has seen both memberships and donations decline, while the cost of everything that is part of their operations have risen. They need your help.
The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame Museum has been part of the Battlefords since 1983. It is the only museum and hall of fame of its kind in Saskatchewan. The museum, located at 292-22nd Street West, Battleford, Saskatchewan, has an outstanding display of memorabilia including uniforms, photographs, baseball bats, baseballs, equipment, trophies and more, including the “David W. Shury Memorial Library”.
Baseball history dates back to 1879 in the province and it played an important role in the settlement and development in this province. The museum and hall of fame offers a place for these historical records to be kept and visited. It offers inductees a place to bring their families, children, grandchildren to see not only their own baseball accomplishments, but those of the many other people, places and spaces that are included in this location.
The SBHOF has inducted 570 individuals, 44 teams, 31 communities and 22 families since they began.
“The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Association has operated on funds only from our fund-raising projects. We receive a small annual grant through Lotteries; however, it is not for operating costs, but a planned project. In 2020 and 2021, we received funding from the Federal Government. We received some funding from the Provincial Government in 2020," said Shury.
The social media release, Jan. 31, says a request in 2023 to the Government of Saskatchewan, to assist with funding, was denied.
Shury said those purchasing memberships have decreased and so have their donations. They have only received one grant of less than $5,000 through Sask. Lotteries.
The province-wide organization has a board of directors from across the province tasked with overseeing all that operating this museum and hall of fame entails.
“We are all volunteers and have a great group of volunteers from the Battlefords and area, and we could not do without them,” adds Shury.
Shury said they have approached companies as potential financial support and that has been, and remains, a project that grows each year.
Membership annual fees are only $25 and a life membership is $200. Costs of operating the museum run somewhere around $70,000 each year. Funds have been assigned for a special project that is digital preservation of this Hall of Fame and Museum.
It is hoped that Saskatchewan’s passion for baseball, the long and storied history of the sport amongst Saskatchewan communities as well as the willingness to help sustain this 40-year-old venue will encourage membership purchases and donations to keep this important history home viable and operational.
