Volunteers overhaul Waynesville little league field following Helene
As seen in this photo from the outfield, the diamond looks better but still needs some minor work.
Kyle Perrotti photo
Mountaineer Little League Baseball has been around since the 1970s, but like everything else, once Hurricane Helene hit, its immediate future was uncertain.
The program, which allows kids from the western part of Haywood County to partake in America’s pastime, relies on the use of five fields to play ball. Some belong to the town or are on private property, and there is one on Elks Lodge property behind the club near the Frog Level area. On Sept. 27, when the storm hit and swamped a whole region, costing six lives in Haywood County and about $60 billion in damage regionally, due to a nearby creek that escaped its banks, the Elks Lodge field was submerged as water crept up toward Dellwood City Road.
Like everyone else in Western North Carolina, once the rains picked up and rumors of widespread flooding circulated, Mountaineer Little League President Richie Cunningham considered not only his own home and family but also the state of the field.
“As soon as it started flooding, I knew we were gonna be in trouble,” Cunningham said.
When he finally laid eyes on the property, his fears were realized.
Here’s the aftermath of Hurricane Helene at the baseball field. Note that the bleachers ended up where the pitcher’s mound once was. Donated photo
“I hated to see it,” he said. “I had seen pictures and how high the water level was. It washed the dugout completely away and a set of bleachers were pushed over right into the middle of the field. It was pretty much wiped out. The storage shed was destroyed, which meant our equipment was destroyed. The light poles in the outfield, those were totally gone.”
Related Items
$14 Million in WNC small business grants announced
More funding for temporary jobs, training for Helene recovery
Lawsuit alleges Forest Service timber sale is illegal
More funding announced for temporary jobs, training for Helene recovery
“It killed the infrastructure as far as the lights and stuff,” said Brent Yarski, Head of Trustees for the Elks Lodge. “Those poles fell, and not only that, but the conduit going to each pole was ripped up when the poles fell.”
Yarksi and Cunningham both grew up playing baseball on that field. Lasat season, there were about 350 kids enrolled in the Mountaineer Little League program between baseball, softball and tee ball. While a lot of kids now play on travel teams, which require a good deal of time and money, The Mountaineer Little League is for anyone at any skill level. It’s all about the players; that’s why Cunningham and others put so much of their own time into making sure there’s a place for everyone to play.
“We want to give all kids something to do, and that’s why we do it,” he said.
In recent months, the effort to rehabilitate the field has picked up, and anyone driving by may notices trimmed grass and a freshly laid dirt in the infield.
In a sense, the league has taken advantage of a bad situation with the ruined field, figuring if it needs to be rebuilt anyway, they’d might as well improve it — and that’s exactly what’s happened. First, they rotated the diamond about 90 degrees, which creates more space for the field and reduces the amount of time direct sunlight is hitting the batter’s box. They also built new dugouts that offer more space and structural stability than the old ones that were washed away.
Yarski said the generosity of local construction companies that have donated materials and labor, as well as a whole host of volunteers that have made this project much easier than it could have otherwise been.
“Everybody’s chipping in,” Yarski said.
Richie Cunningham, (left) and Brent Yarski have been working together to restore the field after Helene. Kyle Perrotti photo
Even the Atlanta Braves helped out, through the team’s “Braves Park Projects” program, which teams the organization up with Truist to provide capital improvements to local recreation centers, youth organizations, fields and ballparks throughout “Braves Country.” Through that program, the Braves will provide Mountaineer Little League with an outfield fence valued at about $5,000.
Even local hero Cal Raleigh, the Sylva native and Seattle Mariners catcher who leads the MLB in home runs, donated some game-used equipment to raise money. Other donations have also poured in from other little leagues, as well as the regional little league district and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
With all of these efforts, Cunningham said he hopes to see action return to the Elks Lodge field in time for the fall season, if even only one game.
“We’ll really kick it off next spring,” he said.
Of course, there is still more work to be done. The biggest project right now, Yarski and Cunningham said, has been replacing those outfield lights that were ripped up during the storm. In addition, new stands need to be purchased, and a new concession stand and ADA-compliant bathrooms need to be built.
“Give ‘til it hurts,” Yarski said, encouraging people to donate time or money or whatever they can. “We still have a long way to go.”
To complete some of these projects, Mountaineer Little League and the Elks Lodge are doing further fundraising, including opportunities for local individuals and businesses to see their names in certain places like the dugouts.
“We’re going to sell banners, and we’ve actually already sold one of the dugouts,” Yarski said. “We do have another dugout for sale… We’ll name the field after you want. But mainly, we have scoreboard signs and blocks that can be bought.”
Monetary donations will also be collected during the Elks Lodge annual barbecue beginning at 11 a.m. July 26 in Waynesville. That event will feature live music from Shed House Trio and the Darren Nicholson Band. Pulled pork plates with sides and a dessert will be on sale for $16 and presold Boston butts will go for $40.
Registration for fall ball is open until Aug. 31. Those interested can visit mountaineerlittleleague.com. Practices will begin the week of Sept. 8, and games will begin the week of Oct. 6.
