Players, coaches and their families kicked off the 2024 Moshannon Valley Little League girls’ softball season with a celebration to dedicate the new outfield fence at the Ramey Softball Field.
Funding for the project came from a $3,500 grant awarded by the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation.
League Chairman Gary Kephart said of the project: “We started fixing up and improving the Ramey Ball Field about three years ago after it sat vacant for many years.
“There is a lot of history and community pride in this ball field, and we wanted to restore the field and bring it back to life. Over the last couple of years, we’ve made some great improvements by constructing new dugouts, revamping the concession stand and repairing the ball field.
“The fencing project was something we wanted to do from the very beginning but lacked the necessary funds to complete the project.
“Last year I learned of the community project grants available from the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation and we decided to apply.”
Clearfield County Charitable Foundation Executive Director Mark McCracken said: “The CCCF board of directors and grant review committee are always looking for new organizations with worthwhile projects to consider funding and the application submitted by Gary for the Moshannon Valley Little League fits the type of project the community grant program was established to support.
“Funding this project in Ramey benefits young athletes from communities like Houtzdale, Morann, Ginter and other small communities in the Moshannon Valley and is a great community investment.
“Of special interest to the grant review committee was this project benefits kids participating in competitive sports and provides a safe facility for children, their families, and the community to gather in support of organized team sports.”
In accepting the grant award, Kephart stated: “I want to thank the Clearfield County Charitable Foundation for their generosity to this community project.
“Without the grant, this project would not have been possible. I also want to thank Ramey borough for their ongoing support and express appreciation to the parents and the MVLL for everything they do.
“We still have a lot of work to be done, but this field has come a long way, and will provide a safe place for our youth for many years to come.”
McCracken expressed his appreciation for all the work Kephart and other volunteers have done to upgrade the field, saying “you are all to be congratulated for the time and effort you’ve put in to restore and upgrade this ballfield. You are making a difference for the young people in your community.”
The Clearfield County Charitable Foundation will be opening the 2024 grant application period in early August. Any group interested in applying for a community project grant should visit the CCCF Web site www.clearfieldcharitablefoundation.org to file an online application.
Questions can be directed via e-mail to cccfexecdir@outlook.com.