Kalamazoo Little League Raises Over $10K In 24 To Repair Field Ravaged By Arson

Almost exactly one month ago today, I wrote an article about a TikTok user named dadchats who raised $75,000 for a Little League team in Ypsilanti whose fields were vandalized and which was on the verge of shutting down. It was an incredible display of a virtual community coming together to help out a total stranger and the little league that they'll never participate in.

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Now, I'm back here today to share a story that has an unlikely amount of overlap with that previous one, but is every bit the feel-good story of another community coming together to save the day, this time much closer to home. Westwood Little League in Kalamazoo recently found itself in quite a bind.

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Westwood Little League Vandalized By Arsonists

On July 8th, Westwood Little League took to Facebook to express that it "wanted everyone fired up for our games today, but not quite like this." This included a photo of burn marks on the ground that had burned the scoreboard and fence after two porta-potties were set on fire. Thankfully, the Kentwood Township Fire and Police Departments responded quickly and put out the fire, and no one was hurt.

Westwood Little League via Facebook

However, after the damage was assessed, the League learned it would cost over $10,000 to repair the fencing and scoreboard, none of which would be covered by insurance. While there is a silver lining in that an arrest has been made in the case, that won't fix the damaged fields

So, the league created a fundraiser on July 13th, asking the community to either donate or share it to recoup its losses... and the community showed up, big time. 

Kalamazoo Growlers via Facebook

The right people saw the post, and within 24 hours, the fundraiser had surpassed the 10k goal. The Kalamazoo Growlers' repost of the donation link sent the fundraiser past its goal, and it is still receiving funds.

It's another incredible story of a community coming together so kids can enjoy learning and playing baseball. While the fundraiser has reached its goals, it remains open, and all funds will go towards supporting the league.