By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
The tornadoes that swept through Adams County in early April are still fresh in the minds of many residents. The devastation left by the tornadoes included significant damage to West Union Recreation Park and Freedom Field. Thanks to the hard work of some local groups like GRIT, Baxla’s and Kubota, funds are now available to repair and remodel the park, benefiting the young people of the community who use the park for baseball, softball, soccer and football.
It was recently announced that the West Union Recreation Restoration Project was selected as the winner of the 2024 Kubota Hometown Proud Scholarship. The scholarship is worth $10,000. But that’s not all, as the following press release from the Kubota Newsroom explains:
“As part of its ongoing commitment to its dealers, customers and local communities, Kubota Tractor Corporation has announced 20 grant recipients in its fourth annual Kubota Hometown Proud® grant program, which aims to support local nonprofit organizations and their unique initiatives across the country.
This year, the company is proud to announce that the West Union Recreation Ballpark restoration project, nominated by Future Plans and supported by local Kubota dealer Baxla Tractor, is one of the winners. Each of the 20 projects in their respective cities will now go to a public vote and the project with the most votes in each district will convert its $10,000 grant into a $50,000 grant.
Future Plans brings together organizations and individuals working together to lead communities to make a difference in all areas of life. The West Union Recreation Ballpark restoration project is in line with this mission. The project is a direct reflection of Adams County’s deep sense of unity, community and resilience. In just a few horrific minutes, a tornado destroyed years of hard work and development of the park. Future Plans describes the ballpark as a hub of activity and fun for this community: Adams County needs this park.
With the $10,000 grant from Kubota, Future Plans will focus on priority repairs to make the stadium safe for the community. Should they receive the $50,000 grant, they will be able to rebuild and replace some of the more expensive items on the organization’s priority list to return the stadium to pre-tornado condition.”
So how does the West Union Recreation Project turn a $10,000 grant into a $50,000 grant? It’s simple: vote, vote, vote! From now until August 14, community members can cast their vote for the WU Project to quintuple their grant.
From now until August 14 at 11:59 p.m. CT, the public is encouraged to visit KubotaHometownProud.com and show support for their hometown project by voting for one of the 20 community projects. Each vote cast automatically enters you into a sweepstakes to win a Kubota Z200 Series zero-turn mower or BX Series residential compact tractor. Voters can make their selections once per day to increase their chances of winning. The community projects with the most votes will be announced in September. (You can also vote by scanning the QR code included with this story, which will take you directly to the site.)
The West Union Recreation Ballpark restoration project was proposed by Future Plans and supported by local Kubota dealer Baxla Tractor. Future Plans brings together organizations and individuals to work together to help communities make a difference in all areas of life. The West Union Recreation Ballpark restoration project aligns with that mission. The project directly reflects Adams County’s deep sense of unity, community and resilience. In just a few horrific minutes, a tornado destroyed years of hard work and development of the park. Future Plans describes the ballpark as a hub of activity and fun for this community: Adams County needs this park.
With the $10,000 grant from Kubota, Future Plans will focus on priority repairs to make the stadium safe for the public. Should they receive the $50,000 grant, they will be able to rebuild and replace some of the more expensive items on the organization’s priority list to return the stadium to its pre-tornado condition.
“I have lived in Adams County since I was born and I am continually overwhelmed by the support that local people and businesses have for our youth and our communities,” said Amy Queen, GRIT Community Outreach Partner. “Everyone can vote every day for the next seven days to make this campaign a success! Let’s vote!”
(As of press time, the vote was ahead on the Adams County grant with one week to go.)
