Academy Sports Complex

Thorndale’s Academy Sports Complex, a premier indoor practice and training facility for all field sports, recently celebrated its grand opening with the entire community showing support. ASC offers three diverse turf fields to accommodate a full infield practice for baseball and softball teams, and for soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, rugby, and football teams to conduct practices and training sessions.

ASC has seven of the largest hitting/pitching cages in the area with pitching machines that use leather-wrapped balls. Teams are able to use the facility to train and practice year-round.

“Being actively involved in sports my whole life, and having three children who’ve played various outdoor sports in good and bad weather, we realize the tremendous number of athletes who are so passionate about their sports,” said owner and Caln Township resident Mike Rudy, a Certified Public Accountant and former IRS Revenue Agent.

“Our vision is to bring value to the community through a recreational facility to help introduce fields sports through camps and clinics. And we want to assist others who are already passionate about their particular field sports so they can practice and train indoors, in a climate-controlled environment, year-round.”

The Kolbe Fund

The Kolbe Fund, an Exton-based nonprofit that supports families who must travel to obtain the best pediatric medical care, has announced that Jayme Gittings will be its new executive director. Gittings is a seasoned development professional with more than 12 years of experience leveraging her targeted marketing, grant writing, and relationship management skills to help promote and expand a variety of local and national nonprofits.

“My husband and I started The Kolbe Fund in 2013 following the incredible stress and anxiety of having a child who required specialized medical treatment, and learning first-hand the unique challenges that come with that experience,” said Kate Schnittman, co-founder of The Kolbe Fund. “We are proud of the significant growth of the organization, and are excited to see what the future holds for Kolbe in the very capable hands of Jayme Gittings.”

Gittings, a Coatesville resident, graduated from Colgate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and received her Juris Doctorate from Pittsburgh’s School of Law, with a Certificate in Advanced Study in Health Law.

Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children

Last Sunday, the West Chester-based Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children – which promotes the independence of families with children by providing shelter, programs, and services – hosted its annual “Life Is a Cabaret: An Evening of Jazz and Broadway” benefit concert.

Catherine Friedman, Joshua Graves, and Heidi Starr serenaded the sold-out crowd with hits such as Domenico Modugno’s Volare, Irving Berlin’s Cheek to Cheek, and Bobby Troup’s Route 66. Accompanying them were John Braceland on guitar, Rob Sparre on keyboard, Cooke Harvey on bass, and Timothy Crawford on piano.