Aug. 6, 2010

By Zack Smith Daily Journal Contributing Writer After nearly a year of hard work, Magical Builders, a non-profit co-founded by Snell & Wilmer partner Jon Frank, has opened two baseball fields for children in Orange County. The best news: The fields are only the first of many projects. Under the direction of Frank and his wife, Christy Frank, Magical Builders has overseen several projects since 2005, with the goal of enhancing community life and involving children in the renovation activities. The most recent endeavor, in partnership with Major League Baseball’s "Going Beyond" initiative, involved the construction of the fields. One, the MLB & Angels All-Star Complex, consists of a revamped youth diamond and Miracle Field, which is designed specifically for children in wheelchairs and other special needs. The second, completed with the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Ana, contains a new youth baseball and softball field so children of the club no longer need to be taken to an offsite location to play ball. "[The fields] look great. The whole facility is beautifully done, and you’re struck by, ‘Wow, this is beautiful,’" Frank said Thursday. "It’s phenomenal." The developments have a combined estimated value of $1.57 million, with funds being drawn from the Angels Baseball Foundation, Major League Baseball and local businesses. Frank provided pro bono services during the planning and construction. The projects were so successful that Major League Baseball is discussing partnering with Magical Builders for future activities in other states, including Arizona, where the 2011 All-Star Game will take place. Though nothing is set in stone yet, the new effort could include work on local hospitals and schools. "We hope to do a lot in the Orange County community and want to do more fields, and we fully intend to continue our projects," Frank said.