Team Care Force arrived at the Huntington Tri-State Airport late on Tuesday, May 12th, to cheers from the amassed crowd who had staked out spots on the tarmac early in the day in anticipation of our arrival. A stairwell was pulled up to the plane and we descended the stairs, the bustling crowd almost breaking through police barriers. We had arrived.
Ok, so that is actually a description of the Beatles’ first visit to the United States in 1964, but still, we like to think that we also have our frenzied fans across the country. As Team Care Force departed our plane and made our way through the airport, we knew we were officially in Appalachia. Huntington, West Virginia sits just south of Ohio on the southern banks of the Ohio River. This small town is home to Marshall University, and earned recent notoriety for the film “We Are Marshall.” The film chronicles the true story of a plane crash that claimed nearly all of Marshall University’s football team, as well as the steps that were taken to return the program to its prominence. After nearly a week in Huntington, you have no doubt that it is a community that takes its sports seriously.
The project we were participating in was appropriate for a town full of sports fans. The plan was to renovate two baseball fields at the Prindle Field Little League Ball Park. The goal was to make it an enjoyable place to watch baseball by adding picnic tables and completed other landscaping projects. Due to a gloomy weather forecast for the week, we were not sure how much work we would be able to accomplish, so we set about working at a more hurried pace than usual. We would soon learn just how much work we had in store.
The first day of prep was spent measuring and cutting wood, ensuring that our beloved “Care Force Two” tool container arrived safely, determining locations for new fencing, and cutting new fence guard. The day ended relatively early, and the team retreated to the hotel to clean up and head out to a spirited dinner at the Olive Garden. Unlimited salad and bread sticks were enjoyed by all.
The second day, TCF dug holes and cemented posts in place for fencing, attached new roofing to a baseball dugout, built a sample picnic table, and along with Project Manager Chris Farr, wheel barreled over 100 loads of clay onto one of the baseball fields. Additional dried clay would later be added to resurface the infield. The task of moving so much clay provided what many of us agreed to be the most exhausting prep work that we have ever participated in. It did not help that the anticipated stormy forecast had not come to fruition. In fact, the opposite was the case. Each day of prep was not cloudy and rain soaked, but rather sunny, humid and hot. To combat the heat, we were twice treated to Frost Top root beer floats. The lactose-intolerant amongst our ranks drank root beer, minus the floats. These provided much needed rejuvenation, and as much as we all could have easily downed another round, we continued our work.
Our final day of prep was the longest, starting at 8 a.m. and lasting until after 9 p.m. We knew that there was still another baseball field to wheel barrel dirt to, and braced for another exhausting day. Shortly after the dirt moving process commenced, George Kotalic of River and Rail Micro Nursery arrived to deliver trees that had been ordered the week before. Observing the shoveling and wheel barreling of dirt in the distance, he asked if we had anything to help make the process easier. We responded that we did not, so he stated that he would gladly donate his services to help make the task easier. Sure enough, 1 p.m. rolled around and George arrived with a truck full of equipment. Most notable was a multi-purpose machine called a “Dingo,” which allows the operator to use different attachments for various tasks. He proceeded to use the bucket attachment on the Dingo to fill his truck bed with large loads of dirt, which were then dropped off to the baseball field. After all of the dirt had been moved, he used the Dingo to spread it evenly across the field, and then augured holes to expedite the next day’s tree planting. It is safe to say that had it not been for George’s efforts, we would not have been able to complete as much work as we did that day.
The day of service started off with the one thing we had been anticipating the entire week but never received: rain. It came and went in spurts throughout the morning, and by the time our CSX and community volunteers began arriving the sun was out in full force. Service began shortly after some inspirational words from CSX and members of the Huntington community, including Mayor Kim Wolfe. The volunteers were hard at work after lunch when dark clouds began gathering. Soon enough, a full fledged thunderstorm was underway. Unfortunately, the service day had to be cut short.
Although this event was TCF’s first rained out event up to this point in our 11 month odyssey, our volunteers were able to make an unmistakable mark on Huntington’s Prindle Field. Nearly every task was completed, and everyone in attendance was proud of the transformation that had occurred. Sharon Mann of the Little League Board presented the members of TCF with hand crafted glass hearts as a token of the Board’s appreciation. We left Prindle Field in high spirits and soaked uniforms, and knew that although it had been an extremely tiring week, we had left a lasting impression on the people and Little League baseball players of Huntington.
