In an attempt to give back to the community, We continue to find ways to give back, developing working relationships with local businesses. We have involved ourselves in multiple projects and challenges. In an attempt to recycle our sawdust and scrap wood, we have donated much of it to local schools and farms.
We are building a promising relationship with the Connecticut School for Child Development. This is a local school for children with Autism. These kids volunteer their time to come to our shop and help us sort through and separate our raw pieces of wood from the painted ones. It creates a nice constructive learning opportunity for the children and a strong friendship between ourselves and the incredible people who work closely with these children day in and day out.
MidSummer Wood Bat Classic at Harbor Yard
We have broadened our horizons and developed partnerships with National organizations as well. We have worked closely with the Wounded Warrior Project, donating funding and forging bats for their Florida basedall tournaments. We have also assisted in the development of trophies that are given out at their events.
We have developed a beautiful partnership with a locally grown company, The Get In Touch Foundation. This organization helps to raise awareness for breast cancer and provides local school nurses and educators with materials that aid in teaching 5th through 12th graders the importance of getting in touch with their bodies. Their focus is mainly directed towards early detection because there is no cure. That is the same approach we take in the production of our bats. Our X-Ray technology allows for early detection of imperfections and the elimination of bats that may break and potentially harm players, coaches and fans. Our pink bats have been a powerful tool in educating our youth that breast cancer can occur in boys too.
Lastly, we hope to be in a position to sponsor a local youth baseball and softball team in 2016.
MEDIA
News Ch. 12 Connecticut
Pink baseball bat sales benefit breast cancer nonprofit
Updated October 19, 2015 6:45 PM
A Milford business and a Milford-based nonprofit teamed up to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. (10/19/15)
MILFORD - A Milford business and a Milford-based nonprofit teamed up to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.
Eric Lehrer, owner of the EL Lumber Company, is a man of many talents. He describes himself as part-carpenter and part-artist. He also happens to be a nurse.
Lehrer's focus shifted slightly this month. He says he decided to combine his passion for baseball and medicine, and started producing pink bats.
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He teamed up with the Get In Touch Foundation, a nonprofit that provides an educational breast health initiative to girls and boys all over the world, starting from grades 5 through 12.
Founder Mary Ann Wasil knows the breast cancer fight all too well. Wasil says she had a stage 4 metastatic breast cancer recurrence 4 1/2 years ago, and has been in regular treatment ever since.
Lehrer says his mission is to get quality products to consumers, whether it's for an 8-year-old or a Major League Baseball player.
The pink bats sell for $110 each. Lehrer says he's had a great response so far and plans to make them year-round, not just for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Lehrer says he plans to donate a portion of the pink bat proceeds to the Get In Touch Foundation.
The business owner says he started making baseball bats in his garage 10 years ago. He says he later launched the EL Lumber Company and moved into his own space less than two years ago. He says each bat is carved and sanded by hand.