SALEM, Va. – As wildfire smoke from Canada continues to impact air quality across much of the United States, the Salem RidgeYaks closely monitored conditions Friday as they opened the second half of their season with the first game of a nine-game home-stand against Delmarva.
Despite hot and hazy conditions at the ballpark, fans still turned out to support the RidgeYaks.
General manager Allen Lawrence said the organization spent the day tracking the Air Quality Index to ensure conditions were safe for players, staff and fans. The club also made masks available at guest services for anyone who wanted one.
Lawrence said the RidgeYaks are allowing fans who chose not to attend Friday’s game because of the air quality to exchange their tickets for another home game later this season.
“We’ve been monitoring the air quality index all day long just to make sure it’s safe to play the game not only for our players but certainly for our fans to be out here,” Lawrence said. “We’ve also had masks as a precaution available at guest services for anybody that needs them.”
Lawrence said the organization recognized air quality as a significant concern and wanted fans to prioritize their health when deciding whether to attend.
“We knew the air quality was certainly a factor tonight, and we knew that we really wanted people to play it safe and make the best judgment for themselves,” he said.
The RidgeYaks said they will continue monitoring air quality throughout the home-stand and adjust operations if conditions warrant.