BARNSTABLE – Barnstable’s Little League faces a major challenge in its efforts to raise $250,000 before the start of next season to improve its facilities.
To create a true stadium environment and build a Little League organization similar to others across the state, Barnstable Little League plans to build a new concession booth and restrooms on its existing site, the Hyannis Community and Youth Center.
“If we want to be a leading organization in Little League, we want our facilities,” J. D. said. Stone, the current president of the league.
Unfortunately, the allocation was delayed when the pandemic hit, fundraising suffered, and the charge increased, leaving the league, a nonprofit volunteer organization, which still needs to raise an additional $250,000.
Lately he has a snack shack that sells “paper items”: chips, popcorn, and drinks. It also has two portable restrooms, Stone said.
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The structure of health services is the most sensible priority.
“We need to organize district tournaments. If other people come here and see pot holders, they don’t need to come here,” Stone said.
The league recruited family and friends online to raise funds. Recently, he also launched a GoFundMe page with the purpose of raising $50,000.
League officials recently earned $200,000, through the Barnstable Community Preservation Committee, but the budget for those is for restrooms only.
They want at least another $250,000 to complete the assignment and come with the new dealer position, Stone said. The full allowance is closer to $500,000 because the charge has increased.
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“Four years ago, a small faction, 3 guys, Mike Clark, then president of the league, Joe O’Brien and Ed Pesce, the engineer, came up with a plan, accepted donations and gave them costs,” Stone said. “They gave us the costs, they gave us the contractors, and then it hit COVID. “
Now, two years later, the total procedure had to start again.
The current efforts are to reinstate the contract with the city, which involves obtaining entry permits and a user agreement, finding a contractor and putting the paintings in competition, Stone said.
“We have to start this August,” he said. And there’s a little challenge there because we have to do the excavation paintings before school starts.
As it begins at the end of August, there is less than a month left to finish with the excavations.
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The excavation to install the bathroom pipes will be extended between 75 and 100 meters from the domain next to the Barnstable School of Community Innovation, through the parking lot and downhill to the domain between two giant Little League courts.
“Actually, I don’t know if it can be done in time. We need that to happen,” Stone said.
The lingering effect of COVID has also hampered fundraising efforts this year.
Typically, the league hosts a hat drive in which players stop by grocery retail outlets and network businesses and ask for donations. Stone said this year’s hat collection was derailed due to COVID restrictions at those retail outlets and businesses. This represented a loss of approximately $15,000 to $20,000 in donations.
Then, for the first time, the league introduced a GoFundMe reader. As of June 28, $9,349 had been raised.
In addition, Stone sent an email to 220 families, requesting donations and asking his circle of relatives to touch another 20 people to generate investment resources.
To view GoFundMe, visit: https://gf. me/v/c/s9ct/barnstable-little-league-restroom-snack-bar-build.