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This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
A Northern Virginia data center giant on Thursday donated $20,000 to help the Greater Manassas Baseball League team afford a several-day trip to Missouri to compete next week in the Senior Babe Ruth World Series.
Without the gift from QTS Realty Trust Inc., some members of the all-star team would not have been able to afford attending, according to team Manager Bill Laughman. The team had been trying to raise $25,000 through a GoFundMe (which had reached more than $6,400 as of Thursday afternoon) and a small popcorn fundraiser, but the QTS donation made all the difference to help pay for what’s shaping up to be a very expensive tournament, Laughman said.
The tournament organizers provide a $350 stipend for each player, but that’s not nearly enough to cover transit fees, up to five nights in a hotel and meals. The tournament’s stadium also doesn’t allow players to bring outside coolers inside, leaving teams to purchase even water at a premium, Laughman said.
The opportunity for the entire team to play in the tournament also gives them a leg up on the field they would have otherwise lacked.
“It just helps us out a lot more to have that depth,” Laughman said. “… The more the merrier, right? And that’s what’s been getting us through this is just everybody’s been stepping up.”
Outfielder and pitcher Luke Pierce, who attends Patriot High School, said he was concerned about the prospect of some team members not being able to play in the tournament prior to the QTS donation.
“The money is very, very nice,” Pierce said.
With a mix of long-time players combined with newcomers, the 16-to-18-year-olds on the team accomplished something no other team has done since the league began in 1957: reach a World Series by winning regionals. The team had to win outright to move on to the World Series. On July 30, they clinched the Southeast Region title with a 1-0 victory over Florida in Centreville.
“When I had the opportunity to talk about what was going on with the Manassas team, we were unbelievably excited,” said Nick Blessing, director of public policy for QTS. “And then I actually dug in and I talked to the coaches, I talked to teams and we found out just how long of a month it’s been in July — winning areas, winning [the state tournament], winning [the regional tournament] every single time to get to worlds to where you’re going. Unbelievable. We’re so excited to play just a small part in that.”
QTS is one of two data center companies aiming to develop the contentious PW Digital Gateway project that proposes the development of 27.6 million square feet of data centers on 2,139 acres along Pageland Lane near Gainesville.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors in November approved a Comprehensive Plan amendment related to the PW Digital Gateway, paving the way for the project to move forward and signaling its likely approval. Still, the companies – QTS and Compass Datacenters – must secure rezonings for their data center projects to come to fruition.
The proposed project has generated a number of high-profile opposition groups, dominated public meeting comment sessions and played a significant role in deciding the outcome of June’s Democratic primary election, where pro-data center At-Large Chair Ann Wheeler was ousted by tech hub opponent and political outsider Deshundra Jefferson.
“Just this past year, we donated to about 180 different organizations with about $2 million,” Blessing said. “Charitable giving is part of our DNA, and it goes beyond that in terms of volunteerism, community outreach, community benefit — those are all things that are core to our culture that haven’t changed and won’t change regardless of any projects.”
