NEW BERLIN – The opening of the Chobani Champions Field in New Berlin Friday was a success in every way, according to both visitors and staff. The festivities lasted until well after dark and provided entertainment, games and food at no cost.
The process to develop Chobani Champions Field, (formerly known as Fish Field), began over a year and a half ago when the Unadilla Valley Youth Baseball and Softball Association approached Agro Farma about donating funds to do some repairs to the old field. The yogurt manufacturer went much further, donating $300,000 to building a brand-new field, complete with dugouts, a concession stand and announcer’s booth.
The evening began at 5 when the Little League players had an opportunity to meet with former Major League Baseball player Tommy John. At 6, the event became open to the public and food was served compliments of Agro Farma, makers of Chobani yogurt.
According to Kelly LaCorte, the decision to make the food and drink free was made last minute and was intended to give everyone a chance to enjoy themselves. Besides a food tent with chicken spiedies, there was also a tent where visitors could sample frozen greek yogurt, or Fro-Cho, which was conceived specifically for this event.
The event was also an opportunity to unveil Agro Farma’s Chobani travel bus, which is decorated with the Chobani logo and operates as a mobile yogurt dispensary and hot-spot.
According to Big Spaceship design agency Josh Teixeira, the lids of the Chobani Champion brand yogurt will also be interactive with smart phones. A quick scan of the lid will allow users to play games, watch videos and will give them a challenge that has to do with “being a champion.”
“It’s meant to help children and parents interact together,” he said.
The children themselves had plenty to do during the evening when not sampling the available fare. An obstacle course was set up by Agro Farma for the kids to run through, again completely free, which kept up the energy of the entire event. Parents were able to watch, mingle and snap some quick photos as the children ran through tires, vaulted over poles and ducked under various obstacles.
“This is one of the coolest fields ever,” said softball player Shelby Meade, who had been playing at the old field until the beginning of this project. “It’s 1,000 times better than the old field.”
At 7 p.m. everyone’s attention was called to the field as everyone from Agro Farma and the community who helped with the project were called to the stage and awarded custom bats for their service. After this, the Little League children were called to the field and the ribbon was officially cut by Agro Farma CEO Hamdi Ulukaya and New Berlin Mayor Terry Potter.
“I want to thank Hamdi for bringing the community together,” announced Potter to the gathered crowd immediately following the ribbon cutting. “Businesses, organizations, teams, and coaches have all been brought together ... to help baseball be re-invented.”
Ulukaya then stood to speak about use of the field and why he wanted to make the dream come true.
“You need to start with the kids,” he said. “Our kids deserve the best ... they will never forget this day.” Ulukaya went on to say that giving without expecting anything in return was what the Shepherd’s Gift, a charitable organization he started in memory of his mother, was all about. He also explained that he was receiving plenty in the form of community acceptance and hard work.
Keith George, director of the Unadilla Valley Youth Baseball and Softball Association, also stood to thank Ulukaya and Tommy John spoke to the youth about the importance of commitment. John said that Agro Farma and New Berlin were prime examples of being committed to community and said he would be glad to bring a youth team from his hometown to play on the amazing field.
At the end of the presentation, Potter announced that the Village of New Berlin was officially proclaiming July 22, Agro Farma day.
This was followed by live entertainment by Katelyn Jackson and the Donna Frech School of Dance and concluded with stop-motion video of the field’s construction and a fireworks show.
When asked about the cost of the field and his choice to build a brand new field instead of simply repairing the previous one, Ulukaya simply said: “If you give a smile, your life gets better. Look at the kids, is there a price for a smile?”