Groundbreaking for first phase of Gibbs Stadium improvements
SOMERSET ― Somerset Area Little League players, officials and major donors turned the first shovels of earth Oct. 10 on the first phase of a major capital improvement project, the construction of a new public services facility at Gibbs Stadium.
State Sen. Pat Stefano also joined in the official kickoff.
The Somerset Area Little League annually serves more than 375 boys and girls, ages 4 to 16, through its Senior League, Little League, Machine Pitch, Coach Pitch, Tee Ball and softball divisions. League members launched the capital improvement effort at the start of the 2019 season. The league raised $40,000 toward the project through its own fundraising events.
Although the five-field complex is well-maintained by the league’s volunteers, it was in need of accessible restrooms and other safety improvements. A new public services facility will include ADA-compliant restrooms, a small concession area and an attached pavilion to provide under-roof shelter for patrons and players in inclement weather.
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Board member Bradford Ickes credited the community with bringing the project to reality.
“Everyone has worked so hard to get to this day, but we aren’t done yet,” Ickes said, noting the league will continue to raise funds to complete additional phases of the original project. They include the installation of donated lighting on one field to allow after-dark play and partial fencing replacement on fields at the complex.
Sanctioned Little League
The league, founded in 1959, features a total of 33 teams who compete in both interleague and post-season play. It is the only sanctioned Little League in southern and central Somerset County. During the past few years, the league has hosted a number of multi-day tournaments, welcoming baseball and softball teams from Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia, in addition to teams from the Pittsburgh and State College areas.
The fully-completed project would enable the league to adequately host larger and more frequent tournaments bringing more overnight visitors to the area, benefiting the local economy. The new public services building will be completed for the kick-off of the league's 2024 season.
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To date, major donors include Somerset Trust Co., The Wheeler Family Charitable Foundation, Rockwood ASSA ABLOY, Somerset V.F.W. Post 554, The Riggs Family Foundation, Jay and Lois Uphouse, Danny Orslene Family, the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, and the First Energy Foundation. Additionally, Stefano was able to obtain a $100,000 Department of Community and Economic Development grant allocated to the state from federal rescue dollars.
Donations can be made to the Somerset Area Little League Capital Fund c/o the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Groundbreaking for Somerset Area Little League's Gibbs Stadium project
