3/22/04

Two Batting Cages To Be Built Thanks To Donations
Local Resident Organizes Fundraising Effort

Two batting cages will be built soon at Womble Park, thanks to $1,800 in donations from more than 50 local residents. Within the past couple months, George McGuire, a Holly Springs resident whose children play baseball through the Holly Springs Parks and Recreation Department, organized the fundraising effort for the batting cages.

March 16, McGuire presented the Town Council with the pledged money amounts and with his proposal to build the batting cages. One batting cage costs approximately $1,100. The council decided to contribute up to $1,200 to the effort and to build two cages within the next month.

Parks and Recreation Director Len Bradley applauded McGuire for his efforts.

“A lot of this has to do just with George and his feelings for the community,” Bradley said. “It's just his nature to be very involved in the things his kids are involved in.”

Each batting cage is to be 14 feet wide and 70 feet long with metal frames and cables, and waterproof and ultraviolet ray-proof netting. The cages can be used for both machine-pitch and live-pitch practice. While the pitching machines are for use by Parks and Recreation teams only, the batting cages can be used by the public when they are not in use by organized teams.

“The benefit of the batting cages is that they will increase the available practice time for our teams,” Bradley said. “Essentially, teams will have two more practice facilities than we currently have.”

The Holly Springs baseball/softball program attracts nearly 500 children and 250 adults per year. Holly Springs has three public baseball fields at Womble Park. An additional field at Jones Park is to open this summer, after lighting and restrooms are installed this spring.

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us