Kellogg's to Renovate 30 Fields Across America; One Semi-Finalist's Story

It's not quite the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, two on, and the winning run coming to bat. But for Lookout Valley Recreation Center, it feels like it.

Over 40 years ago, Chattanooga residents invested in a community ballpark for children at the foot of Lookout Mountain to learn, play, and grow. Decades later, the fields need a little TLC, something the parents who now run the center say costs more than they can afford. "We're working hard with what we got," says Jason Rains, a parent and girls softball commissioner.

In January, residents gathered to discuss the upcoming baseball and softball seasons, and what could be done to spruce up the fields to give area kids the best experience possible. When the meeting ended, Doug Bearden took his children to the grocery store and bought some cereal. The next morning, Bearden says he saw God's hand at work. As his kids munched on their Frosted Flakes, Bearden browsed the writing on the box. "And on the back of the box, was a make over my field promotion," says the young father.

As part of an effort to help kids stay active, Kellogg's plans to selected 30 youth athletic fields to renovate, investing up to $15,000 per site. Bearden rushed out and took pictures of Lookout Valley's fields and promptly submitted them to Kellogg's for consideration. He wouldn't be alone. Over 3,400 people nominated fields for this promotion.

On May 1st, Kellogg's narrowed the list of potential fields to 100, putting Lookout Valley one step closer to some much needed help. "I envision a lot, I can see a lot of good change that would come with that," says Bearden. Should they make the final cut, Bearden wants everyone in the community to have a say in how the money should be spent. Many already have one issue at the top of their wishlist. "One of the reasons it's so hard to keep the fields ready is we have a drainage problem and this field gets washed away and there's crevasse in there and you have to go back and add dirt and drag," says Rains. That dirt runs off the field and gets clogged in a drain behind the concession stand. When that happens, a pool forms and water can sit idle for days.

Kellogg's will base half of its decision on which 30-fields deserve a makeover from a public vote, now underway at frostedflakes.com. Stephen Keener, President and CEO of Little League International, encourages the public to review the semi-finalists, because of what this project means for kids across America. "If they're playing on a safe, good quality field, they have the best chance to have a beneficial experience and that's what's most important." On-line voting ends May 31st.

The other half of the judging will be more subjective. Mary Fitzgerald of Pop Warner Little Scholars says judges will look at things like "how many groups use the fields, where the fields are located in the community, the age and location of the fields." Kellogg's plans to notify the winners in June.

With rally cap on, Bearden hopes to push his fields into the top 30 before the clock runs out. He's making phone calls, sending e-mails, and handing out fliers to anyone who will listen. "I played here 30 years ago, and the general consensus of the community is the ballfields are in bad shape and need help." Last week, Lookout Valley was in 52nd position, but has climbed a few spots since then.

If nothing else comes of it, this experience serves as a lesson for Bearden's children. After volunteering to help the league, neither child wanted to play ball this Spring. But, he didn't back away from his duties. Like a pitcher, he's showing them the importance of following through on whatever they start.