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Chicago Cubs use scoreboard rain barrels to conserve water at Wrigley Field

Keeping Wrigley Field green takes more than sunshine and a dedicated grounds crew.

It also takes water -- and one Cubs employee found a creative way to conserve it.

Water conservation is a key part of the Chicago Cubs' sustainability efforts, and because Wrigley Field is more than 100 years old, the team has had to think outside the box.

That creativity led Assistant Groundskeeper Graham Flora to look to his own backyard for inspiration.

While tending to the juniper plants that cascade down the ballpark's bleacher sections, Flora noticed an opportunity high above the field. At the top of Wrigley's iconic 60-foot scoreboard, rainwater from the roof drains away after storms.

Flora came up with an idea to capture that water using rain barrels connected to the scoreboard's drainage system.

"I was thinking about using rainwater, and the fact that we had the two drains on the roof of the scoreboard, and I just thought about getting rain barrels to 'em, and one thing led to another," Flora said.

Today, the system captures enough rainwater to save the Cubs roughly 1,500 gallons of water each year.

The rain barrels are just one part of a larger sustainability strategy at Wrigley Field.

"It's in the ballpark: waste less. In the community: give more. In the ballpark: energize responsibly, and in the community: power change," said Maria Sapienza, the Cubs' director of analysis and planning operations.

The Cubs also closely monitor water use throughout the ballpark.

"Water runoff is a big issue," Sapienza said.

The team tracks water used for field maintenance and even the water used to clean the ballpark after games, helping identify opportunities to reduce consumption and improve efficiency.

"So when the ballpark is cleaned after every game to be nice and clean for our guests, we want to make sure we're measuring what exactly water usage is that for versus what's on the field so we can see what's happening and get better at it if we need to," Sapienza said.

The Cubs hope their efforts can encourage fans and neighbors to think about sustainability in their own communities.

"Sports have a really unique opportunity in the world to do good for people," Sapienza said. "The more we can do the right thing, be good neighbors, waste less, give more, hopefully that just snowballs and inspires people."

The team's sustainability efforts extend beyond water conservation.

Inspired by another backyard idea, the Cubs installed beehives on a rooftop after receiving guidance from a neighbor. The team now produces its own honey and hopes to eventually use it in food served at Wrigley Field.

Phillies All-Stars are painted onto a unique piece of artwork for 'Bells Across PA'

This week, Philadelphia will host its first All-Star Game in thirty years, and a local artist got to cement himself as part of its history.

Andre Chaney created the All-Star themed Liberty Bell, which can now be seen at the ballpark.

In collaboration with "Bells Across PA," it is one of many fiberglass statues placed in the region to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.

The project was in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia and is titled "America's Summer Tradition."

Five Phillies legends were painted onto the piece, all who participated in previous All-Star games: "Dick Allen, Mike Schmidt, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Bryce Harper."

"This is All-Star Week here in Philadelphia, which is incredible because we haven't had this since 1996, and I get to be a part of it," said Andre Chaney.

"One of the things my mom taught me is that it's not what you do for people, but it's how you make them feel. I think that I'm able to see that by the way people are responding to the bell, just us championing around each other in the sport of baseball," he continued.

For more information, check out the video above.

Also, check out their website.

Volunteers revamp Shane Victorino Nicetown Club in All‑Star community effort

Two-time World Series champion Shane Victorino volunteered at the Shane Victorino Nicetown Boys & Girls Club in Philadelphia Saturday morning.

Major League Baseball, Phillies Charities, Inc. and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia teamed up to refurbish the Shane Victorino Nicetown Club as part of MLB Together's yearlong volunteer initiative.

About 100 volunteers spent the morning painting and deep cleaning learning and social spaces inside the club, while others worked outside on seeding, planting and landscaping improvements. The effort was supported by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and additional special guests.

The project contributed to MLB Together's goal of reaching 250,000 collective volunteer hours by the end of 2026 in honor of America's 250th anniversary.

According to MLB, the initiative is part of a broader investment of more than $5.5 million in community projects across the region aimed at expanding youth access to baseball and softball, supporting veterans and providing educational and nutritional resources.

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