For over 50 years, the ballpark lights have helped create memories for generations of Jasper County children. They have been an intricate part of the lessons learned on the ball field, the joys of winning, the sorrows of loss, the lessons learned, and the lifelong friendships created within the dugouts and on the fields. They have shone long enough for grandfathers to watch their grandchildren under the same lights that once shined on them.
The time has come for these lights to be retired. Grant White, Boys and Girls Park board treasurer, expanded on the project details stating, ““The original lights on the large baseball diamond were installed in 1970 and are in dire need of repair. Over the past few seasons, the high school has been unable to host games at night because of this. Through current fundraising efforts, and the support of the Athletic Boosters, as well as the community, we are optimistic that we can complete this project and repair all the lights on the large baseball diamond and upgrade the lighting on the other 2 diamonds to LEDs. The new LED lights will be designed to provide greater light per fixture while using less energy than the current metal halide fixtures.”
The Newton Athletic Boosters has teamed up with the Jasper County Boys and Girls Park to host a Queen of Hearts to benefit this improvement. While the Newton Athletic Boosters will undertake the running of the Queen of Hearts drawing, proceeds from the drawing will be donated to the ballpark for this project.
The Newton Athletic Boosters have hosted several of the Queen of Hearts drawings allowing the organization to expand outward for this project. With the overwhelming support of the community the Boosters have raised enough money to fund the current needs of the school sports teams, along with placing a substantial amount into the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation for future needs.
The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation mission is “cultivate philanthropy to build better communities” Their website states, “We carry out this mission by helping individuals, families and organizations make permanent charitable investments for the long-term benefit of their hometowns. We believe that everyone has the opportunity to become a philanthropist and we work one-on-one with donors to ensure that their charitable goals are met.”
Many Jasper County individuals and entities utilize the foundation to enhance the opportunities in our community including, but certainly not limited to, many scholarships, Lincoln’s Place – the inclusive park area at Peterson Park, and the McDaniel Family Fund, which benefits many different projects and programs in Jasper County. For more information about the foundation a link to their website will be included at the end of the article.
The dividends from the booster monies in the Southeastern Foundation will be used to continue to support and provide for the sports in Jasper County, and the monies are available for use if an emergency arises beyond the basic needs.
Newton Athletic Booster board president, Josh Kuhl, states, “I don’t know any person, business, or group that would spend every dollar they have as quickly as they receive it. This is a longevity move for the boosters. All purchases are placed within the school board minutes”
The Athletic Director has a yearly budget for purchases, which continues to be approved by the booster board. With the majority of the monies being invested and now bringing in residual income, this eliminates the need for multiple fundraisers by the boosters, thereby providing more openings for music and individual sports teams fundraisers to flourish.
With the security the monies invested in the foundation, the booster board members realized the opportunity to impact more people in the community than just the high school teams.
Generations of boys and girls have played on our fields, generations of men and women have coached on our fields, generations of grandparents and great-grandparents have been the biggest fans of our players. Each generation has left its mark and legacy at the boys and girls park helping to keep these priceless memories alive from lights, to block dugouts, to concession stands and bathrooms. It’s now our time to come together to make our mark in the hope that a half a century from now when it is time to replace the lights once again, there will have been generations of ball players who have learned life lessons far beyond the basics of baseball and softball, and have become better men and women from their years spent at the boys and girls park. After all, what better way to shine a light in the world of a child than to brighten the fields of their youth.
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Newton Athletic Booster Queen of Hearts
