Please take the time to read this email and respond. This is a very important project for our baseball program both to improve our facilities and to greatly increase our ability to self generate funds for future projects without having to totally rely on donations or player fundraisers.
As most of you know, we plan on converting two additional fields at Elliott Elementary into HJRB fields. We have permission from Delhi Parks & Rec. and also Holt Schools to do this. The plan is to convert Elliott #3 into a combination U10 / U12 field and to convert Elliott #4 into a U10 field. Then we will relinquish use of the Jr. High fields back to Delhi P&R for their usage. This will allow us to bring all of our HJRB games together into one baseball “complex”, creating a fun baseball atmosphere next season. This centralization will allow our U10 teams to have access to real bathroom facilities, the concession stand, the batting cages, better parking, and any equipment stored at the site. Concession proceeds, all of which directly benefit the entire program, should more than double by hosting the U10 teams at Elliott. We will also have a greater ability to host our own tournaments next year which is an excellent fund raiser for the program. Allowing Elliott #3 to be used for U12 usage also gives us greater flexibility for U12 games; as a backup field and for tournaments.
The conversion involves extending out the infield and installing fencing for safety. Currently those fields have base dimensions of 50’x50’. U10 requires 60’ and U12 requires 70’, thus the need to make the infield bigger. Sod will need to be cut out, removed, and filled in with baseball dirt. We are not completely enclosing the fields with fencing (nor can we), we are planning on installing fencing that extends from the backstop to about 15 feet past 1st and 3rd bases on both sides for safety reasons. This conversion is estimated to cost around $4000 - $8000, depending on how much we can do ourselves.
In order to make this happen we need a workable balance of volunteers and money. The less volunteers the more money we’ll need, the more volunteers the less money we need – you get the picture. We have about $3,000 in our general fund that we can use for this project; this surplus is from pre-season donations, HJRB merchandise sales, concession sales, etc.
We are asking for pledges of time, material, equipment, and/or money. We need:
Fencing Work
- Do you work for a fencing company? Can you get a discount or a full or partial donation?
- Do you know how to properly install fencing?
- Do you have equipment to install fencing (dig post holes, etc.)
- Can you volunteer time to work on an installation crew?
- Do you work for a landscaping company? Can you get a discount on services and/or equipment, or donation of such?
- We will need a sod cutter or backhoe
- We will need a place to dump the cut away sod and dirt
- We need good quality baseball dirt. We can work through Delhi P&R to get it from their supplier but if you have any connections we can compare pricing. The dirt alone may cost around $2000.
- Can you volunteer time to work on a crew for the field work?
Money!
- Don’t have the time, skills, or even desire to volunteer for a work crew? You can do your part by making a donation instead.
- We are a registered non-profit organization and any donations are tax deductable.
- Make a personal donation of $25, $50, $75, $100, $250, or more and your name will be listed on a plaque that will be hung on the field’s new fencing.
- Business making donations can be listed on the plaque or special arrangements can be worked out based on amount of donation. They should contact me for more info.
Please email me what you would like to pledge for this project (time, material, equipment, and/or money donation). Pledges will only be collected if we have enough support to proceed with this project.
I am counting on everyone pledging something! If you have friends or neighbors that are not part of our HJRB community now but may put their boy in the program next year, please forward this email to them also as it will benefit them as well.
Thanks for your time,
Brian Kayser, President
Holt Jr. Rams Baseball
http://www.hjrb.org/
