Teams of Northern California lodges are competing to fund the most baseball mitts for youth who participate in the Junior Giants, a free, non-competitive baseball program that provides teamwork and leadership skills to at-risk Northern California youth – giving children a positive alternative to gangs, crime, and drugs. This innovative program includes instruction on education, health, and violence prevention and places a higher value on children’s character than on wins and losses. About 20,000 children participate in the program each year – 45 percent of whom do not own a baseball glove. This is the fourth year that the California Masonic Foundation has partnered with the Giants Community Fund to provide mitts for program participants. Last year’s campaign raised more than $50,000, providing baseball gloves for more than 2,500 at-risk youth. Support your local team and needy California youth at www.masons4mitts.org/