(Seguin) — Seguin Little League fans will soon have it made in the shade thanks to the efforts of this year’s Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Seguin Class. This year’s class project which was the installation of a dozen shade structures at the Seguin Little League Complex at Max Starcke Park was officially solidified with the recent awarding of an $18,000 PowerUp grant from Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC).
Elizabeth Engelhardt, a member of the class, says the group was thrilled over the news — news that puts the project’s fundraising efforts over the top.
She says up to this point, the group had been working alongside Seguin Parks and Recreation Director Jack Jones and the Little League organization in raising the necessary $55,000 to make these shade structures over the stands possible.
“The GVEC Grant, when we got word that we had received that, everyone was ecstatic. We had told Jack (Jones, parks and recreation director) and Jason Harrison, the current Little League president, any extra fundraising that we had done, it was all going to go toward Little League so we are hoping that there is going to be enough so that maybe we can do more improvements and things around the Little League fields,” said Engelhardt.
Now prior to the GVEC grant, Engelhardt says much support had already come along their way thanks to the vision and support of the Seguin City Council.
“The city said that they were going to purchase the first structure and that was the one that was erected just in time for our kickball tournament and barbecue cook-off. So, they paid for the first one but we also went before city council and Jack Jones has been instrumental in all of this with us but then
the city agreed to match us dollar for dollar up to all of the structures that were needed,” said Engelhardt.
Making a $55,000 dream a reality is not necessarily always easy. However, Engelhardt says she thanks the members of the Leadership Class who together with the community have made a somewhat impossible task, possible.
“It wasn’t necessarily that people were saying we couldn’t do it. It was a lot. It was a lot that it entailed. All of us have jobs, regular day jobs so it was going to be a lot of extra work on our part but our group is just filled with people who believe in the project. Everybody (has) different strengths and everybody just pitched in and has really, really helped make this dream for the Little League come true,” said Engelhardt.
Engelhardt says the shade structures are no doubt a gift for all generations and just make a hometown staple that much more vibrant.
“Kind of part of the reason that we chose this is because we believe it was something that would benefit current families and future families and it’s also going to help bring other events and tournaments and attractions to the city which is all great things. It’s revenue. It’s just different things that they have not been able to have at those fields because like I said, it just wasn’t as attractive as it is now but not so much attractive but as much as it is needed because the sun is just dangerous and you’ve got families, parents, grandparents, little ones, every weekend and really week nights because the games go on all the time but it’s just something that we truly believed would do a great benefit to the community and it would benefit future generations, is what we are hoping,” said Engelhardt.
Although news of the PowerUp grant came at the heels of this project, the group is just thankful that it was a recipient.
“We knew that we weren’t going to hear back on this until late, late April so to us, we just thought that that would be gravy. We didn’t want to include that because the goal was to actually raise the money and have these structures put up before this season was over because we haven’t gotten the hot, hot yet. It’s getting warmer but we really wanted these to be up as soon as possible for the families to enjoy this season and I believe the goal right now is to have them completed by Memorial Day,” said Engelhardt.
Officials say the Power Up program has helped “transform small change into big change throughout the GVEC service area.” They say “this charitable program is funded through the generosity of participating members who round up their electric bills each month and donate the extra pennies to Power Up.”