The new Hunting Park baseball field that was scheduled to be opened last week won’t be dedicated until April 2012.
After record-breaking rains in August with help from Hurricane Irene, as well as the remnants of Hurricane Lee dumping even more water on the region in early September, the baseball diamond was not ready to be opened on its scheduled date of Sept. 15.
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard donated $100,000 to the ballpark.
“Ryan Howard has been a huge help in contributing to the field,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, the executive director of Fairmount Conservancy.
In addition to the $100,000 he donated toward the field, Howard also donated $50,000 on behalf of the Ryan Howard Family Foundation toward the Hunting Park Revitalization project. Howard was given the Phillies Community Service Award and he is also nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award, Major League Baseball’s top honor in recognizing a player’s humanitarian work.
As for the field, it is still fenced in and being worked on. Lovell is anxious for it to get up and running.
“ We can’t wait for the opening in April,” she said. “I really hope that it is a clean, safe park that is reclaimed.”
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