Play Ball!

Team Care Force (TCF) arrived at the Huntington Tri-State Airport late on Tuesday, May 12th, to cheers from the amassed crowd who had staked out spots on the tarmac early in the day in anticipation of our arrival. A stairwell was pulled up to the plane and we descended the stairs, the bustling crowd almost breaking through police barriers. We had arrived.

Although this event was our first official rain out, the volunteers were able to make an unmistakable mark on Huntington's Prindle Field.

Ok, so that is actually a description of the Beatles' first visit to the United States in 1964, but still, we like to think that we also have our frenzied fans across the country. As Team Care Force departed our plane and made our way through the airport, we knew we were officially in Appalachia. Huntington, West Virginia sits just south of Ohio on the southern banks of the Ohio River. This small town is home to Marshall University, and earned recent notoriety for the film "We Are Marshall." The film chronicles the true story of a plane crash that claimed nearly all of Marshall University's football team, as well as the steps that were taken to return the program to its prominence. After nearly a week in Huntington, there is no doubt the community that takes its sports seriously.

The project we led was appropriate for a town full of sports fans. The plan was to renovate two baseball fields at the Prindle Field Little League Ball Park. In addition to rehabbing the fields, the goal was to make it an enjoyable place to watch baseball by adding picnic tables and other landscaping projects. Due to a gloomy weather forecast for the week, we were not sure how much work we would be able to accomplish, so we set about working at a more hurried pace than usual. We would soon learn just how much work we had in store.

The prep was some of the longest and hardest we've ever endured, consisting of fence cutting, digging holes, and wheeling load after load of dirt onto the fields. It did not help that the anticipated stormy forecast had not come to fruition. In fact, the opposite was the case. Each day of prep was not cloudy and rain soaked, but rather sunny, humid and hot. Luckily, on the last day of prep George Kotalic of River and Rail Micro Nursery and his "Dingo" machine showed up on the scene and were able to help us complete some of the heavier lifting in order to be ready for the volunteers.

The day of service started off with the one thing we had been anticipating the entire week but never received – rain. It came and went in spurts throughout the morning, but by the time our CSX and community volunteers began arriving the sun was out in full force. Service began shortly after some inspirational words from CSX and members of the Huntington community, including Mayor Kim Wolfe. The volunteers were hard at work after lunch when dark clouds began gathering. Soon enough, a full-fledged thunderstorm was underway and unfortunately, the service day had to be cut short.

Although this event was our first official rain out, the volunteers were able to make an unmistakable mark on Huntington's Prindle Field. Nearly every task was completed, and everyone in attendance was proud of the transformation that had occurred. Sharon Mann of the Little League Board presented the members of TCF with hand crafted glass hearts as a token of the Board's appreciation. We left Prindle Field in high spirits and soaked uniforms, and knew that although it had been an extremely tiring week, we had left a lasting impression on the people and Little League baseball players of Huntington.