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The Suffolk Youth Athletic Association won a field renovation from the Norfolk Tides.

Every year, the Norfolk Tides, the Baltimore Orioles’ Class AAA affiliate, hold a contest to renovate local youth baseball and softball fields. The nominated fields are listed on the team’s website for folks to vote for their hometown field. The field with the most votes by the end gets a visit from the Tides’ grounds crew, which puts their knowledge and experience to use as they upgrade the playing surface and improve existing structures at the ballpark.

Due to the support from Suffolk residents who went online to vote, the Suffolk Youth Athletic Association came in first place with 12,997 votes for a renovation of the field at 501 Kings Fork Road.

“We want to say thank you to everyone who supported us and helped us win,” said Joe Bidnick, head commissioner for SYAA. “We put in a lot of work to better the field and this free renovation will be a great help.”

Bidnick thanked Stephanie Nystrom for nominating the organization for the contest. Being an organization of volunteers, any help is appreciated to keep the fields in great shape for the local kids to play.

“We look forward to growing and gaining more support from the community,” said Bidnick.

At this time, the Norfolk Tides has not reached out to plan the upcoming renovation.

This will be Suffolk’s second time winning the contest. In 2012, Bennett’s Creek Little League on Driver Lane was selected.