CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Northwest Little League players and volunteers held a fundraiser, Saturday, July 25 at Rural King on Fort Campbell Blvd. and collected $1,495 for repairs at Northwest Little League’s Stokes Field. The fundraiser received support from a number of important community members.
The ballpark was vandalized by burglars four times during the month of June, and once again in July.
Ward 2 Clarksville City Councilwoman Deanna McLaughlin told Clarksvillenow.com that Saturday Linda Singletary donated $4,710 to the GoFundMe account for Stokes Field which is in addition to a $1,000 donation she had made earlier. “With all of that combined we’re over our $10,000 goal,”said McLaughlin.
McLaughlin added that Nova Flow Cafe on Riverside Drive is donating 100 percent of their sales which started July 22 and goes through July 31 to the Stokes Field fundraising efforts.
McLaughlin and State Rep. Joe Pitts, who recently organized another fundraiser to help with the repairs, were both present along with Kathi Stokes, the granddaughter-in-law of the man who originally funded the field.
“That his legacy, Stokes Field,” Stokes said. “All of our kids played out there, and I learned so much from him when I participated out there. No kids were left behind. If they didn’t have the money, they still played.” Stokes shares her grandfather-in-law’s view that if kids have an activity like sports to entertain them, they will have “a positive direction in life instead of a negative one.”
Stokes plans to donate the money needed for the security system, which has an estimated cost of $1,500. “It’s my job to keep it going,” she said.
Both Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett, who made a personal donation, and Karel Lea Biggs of Red River Republican Women, also each presented a check for $100.
“Many of the women that belong to Red River Republican Women are teachers, and a lot of us work with kids that play ball at Stokes,” Biggs said. “I spent a lot of time this summer watching my students play, and we felt it was really important to contribute back to our kids because they’re the future of our country.”
A GoFundMe account and private donations from businesses have brought in a little more than half of the $10,000 funds needed for the field.
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