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Vandals cause thousands of dollars in damages to Balcones Youth Sports Complex
Vandals ripped out lights, kicked through walls, stolen concessions, and even broken appliances, including the popcorn machine.
AUSTIN, Texas - Vandals caused between $15,000-20,000 worth of damage at the Balcones Youth Sports Complex.
The nonprofit offers baseball and softball programs to children ages 4-14, but now facility directors need an assist from the community so they can continue to play ball.
The Balcones Youth Sports Complex offers kids a chance to forget about all the changes that come with living through a pandemic and instead keep their eye on the ball.
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"Typically, in the Spring season, we have about 250 players plus or minus. Right now, even during COVID, we’re looking at somewhere around 125-150 kids, and those are kids actually playing," said Jonathan Stilley, director of sponsorship at Balcones Youth Sports.
Without organized baseball at many local elementary schools, volunteers at the facility stepped up to the plate so children in the community could get in the game.
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"We are a nonprofit that’s here and so, we are not one of those places that make a ton of money, what we do is we basically live off of registration fees, sponsorship, donations and concessions," Stilley said.
This week, as volunteers showed up for practice, they found shattered windows in the umpires room.
"We had our volunteers and board members, they were literally on their hands and knees picking up glass out of the field because that’s right where the kids play," said Stilley.
The damage didn't end there. Vandals had ripped out lights, kicked through walls, stolen concessions, and even broken appliances, including the popcorn machine.
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"We do rely, quite a bit, on concessions for parts of our revenue and so it’ll be a couple of weeks and that’s gonna take a hit for us for sure," Stilley said.
"To have somebody come into something that we all pour our heart and soul and time into, literally for the good of the community for the kids, and to see somebody just do this kind of wanton damage is just absolutely heartbreaking," he added.
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With the facility and their hearts in pieces, volunteers, parents, even competing complexes joined forces to raise money to keep the lights on and upgrade security so the kids wouldn't have to face yet another challenge this year.
"So many people, so many more, are willing to come in and help and really roll up their sleeves and help and give in a time that’s tough for a lot of people," said Stilley.
To donate, click on the GoFundMe below.
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