JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (WATE) — The Jefferson City Little League is getting an upgrade thanks to a donation from country music star and East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen.
The singer’s nonprofit organization, the Morgan Wallen Foundation, donated $100,000 to the league for field and facility upgrades. Wallen grew up in East Tennessee and according to a Facebook post from the foundation, played Little League games on the Jefferson City fields as a child.
Robbie Britt, president of the Little League, said the donation will fund a new field, fence, backstop, dugout and press box.
“A lot of the cities get attention and not a lot of rural areas get attention, so someone like the MWF targeting the rural areas and working with rural areas like this, it brings life to the whole community, it brings life to everything around us. So we want to thank them and I’m very happy that they’re helping us get these better conditions for these kids,” he said.
It’s been more than 20 years since the field last saw updates. The majority of the donation will go toward a new field at Roy Harmon Park.
“That will allow this little league to expand and maybe bring back softball. Right now, we do not have softball because we don’t have enough fields, we only have two fields. So, that’s the largest gift that we’re receiving is a new field. And I just can’t reiterate how blessed we are to be able to see that Roy Harmon field get reconditioned,” Britt said.
The Little League has seen a big demand for softball. Britt said he and many other parents are looking forward to when their daughters will be able to participate.
“The community is excited. They are ecstatic on bringing back softball, I have parents come up to me and say, ‘are we going to get softball?’ I get the question all the time and I think that’s the most exciting thing coming to our future,” Britt said. “I know I have a lot of parents ask about it all the time and I know they’re very excited to see that happen.”
The new field will also allow the Little League to expand its tee-ball program. The upgrades are expected to be completed by next spring.