Passion For Service

A new venture

Several years ago, the couple served as chairpersons for Kansas Mission of Mercy, a large-scale dental clinic that provides free service to patients who can’t afford or don’t have access to dental care. They also joined the Crown Council, an organization of like-minded dentists who share best practice ideas and serve together on humanitarian and service trips.

Many of those were to the Dominican Republic. In 2019, they returned to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip — and Guy took a big idea with him.

“In the Dominican, they’re very much into baseball,” he said.

So are Guy and his sons, Gunnar and Grayton.

Before their trip, the family collected donated baseball equipment to take with them. While mom and dad were busy attending to dental patients, Gunnar and Grayton gave the donated bats, gloves and balls to Dominican children and played baseball with them.

“We saw the joy in their eyes, and we thought, why don’t we do something similar in our hometown,” Guy said.

When they returned to Salina, Guy embarked on a vision he’d had for some time to bring a baseball and softball training center to his community of Salina. A year and a half ago, he saw his vision come to fruition when he purchased some property in an older section of downtown Salina and restored it.

The dilapidated buildings were transformed into The Yard, a 20,000-square-foot, year-round baseball and softball training facility for youth in Salina and throughout the area.

The high-tech training facility includes batting cages, pitching stations and a full-sized, covered infield with spaces for year-round training.

Dr. Gross said he and The Yard’s staff impart the benefits of sports — and the value of striving for goals — to young players.

“We’re teaching them about life through baseball,” he said.

When the facility opened in the summer of 2021, a special ribbon-cutting ceremony included a surprise appearance from Kansas City Royals broadcaster Joel Goldberg, who spoke and signed autographs. Now, Dr. Gross collaborates with the Royals’ community outreach program and their Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy to bring baseball and softball clinics and camps to town.

“Any time you can affiliate in a way that brings a little excitement of the big leagues to kids in Salina, we’re pretty fired up about that,” he said.

In addition to the lessons and practice facilities, The Yard also offers training for youth league baseball and softball coaches. These programs are already realizing dividends and helping to train a number of players who have gone on to play college ball.

But Dr. Gross said there’s another, equally important, mission.

By providing scholarships for youth whose families can’t afford to participate, he wants to make the facility accessible to anyone in his community and surrounding areas. Through opportunities to build their futures, young men and women will grow to become team players.

“We can’t make every kid into a major league baseball player,” he said. “But we can sure help make a lot more major league citizens.”

In addition to these benefits, The Yard became a beacon of city renewal. It opened doors to economic growth in Salina, and area developers were inspired to follow suit.

“That part of downtown was revitalized, and the whole street changed,” Guy said.

In addition to The Yard, that section of Salina now boasts an art education warehouse, a vintage car museum and a yoga studio.

“Now, it’s a place where people are going and spending time,” Kate said. “It’s just a block and a half from downtown, but it’s dramatically changed. We’re excited to be a part of it.”