Pitch in for your champs
Coeur d’Alene’s Cooper Smith fields a throw from catcher Avrey Cherry as Lewiston’s Teigen Abell runs up the baseline in a Little League Majors District 1 tournament game at Canfield Sports Complex in July. The Coeur d’Alene Little League All Stars are on a winning streak that has taken them to the Little League World Series, which starts Friday. The community is rallying to raise funds to help finance trips for the players’ parents so they won’t miss out on this extraordinary time in their boys’ lives. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
The Coeur d'Alene Little League All Stars will be making history when they represent North Idaho in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., starting Friday. The championship is Aug. 26.
The team is the first from Coeur d'Alene to advance to the international competition.
The players need the community's support so their parents can be with them as their baseball dreams come true. While players' expenses are covered by the Little League Baseball organization, the parents are dipping into savings and using credit cards to share in this extraordinary time in their boys' lives.
So, community, let's do what we do best and pitch in so these parents don't miss out.
"I think Coeur d'Alene embodies the sort of small-town America, and this is America's pastime," fundraising and outreach coordinator Kiki Miller said Wednesday. "Coeur d'Alene has stepped up again and again to support youth. When there's such a positive outcome, a dream come true for kids from our own community, that's the reward that a community like Coeur d'Alene gets behind because of the passion and pride in the kids who live here."
A grassroots effort to help the families officially began Tuesday. The Coeur d'Alene All Stars World Series Fund the Families Drive has sparked competition to see who can raise the most funds.
Kootenai Title already upped the ante by donating $250 through the drive's GoFundMe page.
"The employees here at Kootenai Title challenge any other company to match our donation and support these boys. GO CDA!!!!!" Kootenai Title posted. "The entire staff here at Kootenai Title and YOUR town is behind you 100%."
Intermax Networks has also raised the bar with a generous $800 gift.
"A number of players and coaches and their companies are our customers and friends we want to make sure no player's family is left behind," posted CEO Mike Kennedy. "Go Coeur d'Alene!"
What sort of community drive would this be without the support of the local newspaper? The Coeur d'Alene Press is pitching in $500.
"That was Advertising Director Kari Packer’s idea," said Mike Patrick, Press managing editor. "In today’s paper you’ll see how a bunch of local business people pitched in to make that donation possible."
Miller said the campaign will go through Aug. 27 to bring in about $3,000 per player. The overall goal is at least $40,000. These funds will reimburse parents who have emptied their pocketbooks to help their kids fulfill their dreams. Any leftover funds will support players in the future.
"I feel like there's a lot of people who want to cheer the team on but put their money where their mouth is and say, 'Our way of cheering you on is making sure your mom and dad can be there with you,'" Miller said. "There’s two families that haven’t made their flights yet because they didn't know if there would be funding available. They've tapped all their resources.
"You just can't have the mom and dad not go to this type of thing. It would be too hard."
You can help the All Star parents be with their sons for this special event by donating at any bankcda branch or mailing a check to 2900 N. Government Way No. 13, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815. Checks should be made out to INW-L & H LLC with "World Series Families Fund" in the memo line.
The Coeur d’Alene branch of bankcda is located at 912 Northwest Blvd. The Hayden branch is at 162 W. Hayden Ave.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the team's GoFundMe account was just below $5,500.
GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/cd039a-all-stars-world-series