All day on Wednesday, a field in New Cumberland Borough got a fresh makeover, but not just any makeover.
For the second year, members of the Harrisburg Senators used an off-season day to give back to the community. They once again partnered with First National Bank to select one field for restoration.
“It’s really an important part of our off-season. Being able to come out, into the community and make a small difference," said Kevin Kulp, president of the Harrisburg Senators.
Making a difference where love for the sport starts, with the kids. Borough Park is home to the Cedar Cliff Youth Softball Association.
They were nominated and this year's recipients of the Homefield Makeover Work Project worth $10,000. The association was nominated by one of its board members and knew they were in the final running to be selected.
“It’s incredible. It’s really exciting that we’ve been given this opportunity. The fact that all these people came out here today to assist in this is awesome," said Cami Witmer, the president of the Cedar Cliff Youth Softball Association.
When it rains, the field can be unusable for up to three days, leaving the U10 through U14 softball players with no place to play.
“It’s really one of the core values," Kulp said. "We obviously love to use our platform and the profile that we have in the community to do good and to partner with First National Bank on a project like this is really the essence of who we want to be."
“It not only impacts the kids, who benefit from something like this but it brings families together. It brings the community together and that’s really important for us because we live in this community and the decisions we make impact the community," said Tony Sacco, the regional president of First National Bank (FNB).
It was a full day of work with 50 tons of dirt that was hauled in, new gravel for the dugouts instead of grass and a new backstop to keep the dirt in play. It's a professional touch to help a field in need of a little TLC
“To give them a place they can be proud of to play and make it a little bit safer and make the field more usable. It checks all the boxes for us," said Kulp.
A giveback that they hope continues every fall for years to come.