Sean C. Morgan
The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam on Friday thanked members of a Ford Institute for Community Building leadership training program Friday evening for their work in finishing the little league baseball and softball fields at Roy Johnston Park, located behind Hawthorne Elementary School.
The club would have had the fields playable this year, but they wouldn’t be what they are today without the help of the Ford Leadership group, said Director Kris Latimer.
The volunteers led a communitywide effort to complete fencing, dugouts, backstops and field preparations before the baseball and softball seasons started on May 15.
Ten members of the training group, called a “cohort,” were treated to cake and Cracker Jacks in a low-key event prior to games Friday night.
“We were waiting till everything was pretty well done and complete,” said cohort member Will Summers of Albany. The volunteers were able to see their work come to fruition Friday night.
When the project started, the backstops were maybe two-thirds their size now, Summers said. There was no irrigation. The field was taken out of commission for one season for upgrades.
“This is gorgeous,” Summers said.
Three or four months ago, the Ford Leadership participants chose the field as their special project. They went out looking for help, and people came out April 13 for the major push. They received help from about 70 adults and 50 to 60 children representing the Boys and Girls Club ball teams, the Rotary Club and the high school National Honor Society, along with Josh Darwood and his crew.
“Josh (Darwood) and his crew did the fencing and backstops,” Summers said., “They just did a fantastic job.”
Now the field is tournament-ready.
It brings in economic opportunities for the Sweet Home community, Latimer said. People come to Sweet Home, and they buy fuel and food and get to know the community. It helps move Sweet Home forward.
Every local room is rented during a tournament, Summers said. It’s a huge positive all the way around.
“We wanted a place where our kids are, where they notice the community and folks around them are investing in them,” Summers said. “This is every bit as good as Lebanon.”
The Boys and Girls Club is very appreciative of the volunteers, Latimer said.