Malcolm parents working to create field of dreams

Next to the Malcolm baseball field sits an empty cornfield, but a group of parents are hoping to turn it into a regulation baseball and softball field for the towns 16 teams who currently share one ball field.

Early morning baseball practice is nothing new for Malcolm sixth graders Bryson Leffers and Lucas Brown.

It’s about the only time the field is this empty.

“We have 16 teams that share one field and that gets extremely difficult in the spring. Sometimes we’ll have three different teams out on the field at one time,” said Tera Heidbrink, a member of the Malcolm Field of Dreams committee.

Tera Heidbrink is fighting to get the town two additional ball fields– one for baseball and one for softball.

Malcolm’s only baseball field is over 30 years old and hosts over 20 practices a week, often forcing several teams to practice at the same time.

“When our coach is directing us to do stuff there’s a whole bunch of kids and their coaches talking to them and it’s like a huge barn all around here,” said sixth grade baseball player Bryson Leffers.

The land for the two new ball fields and the parking lot has already been purchased, but to build everything would cost over $300,000.

In the three years since the committee started they’ve raised over $100,000, including a $50,000 gift from an anonymous donor.

But the tight knit town is running out of options to raise the rest of the money.

Heidbrink says they’re not afraid of rolling up their sleeves to do the work themselves, it’s just a matter of finding people willing to donate.

“It’s a farm community so when it comes to getting the work done we’re going to be there and put the sweat into it and get it done, but right now we’re looking at we need the funds to serve our kids better and our community better.”

For now, Leffers and his teammates get practice time when they can hoping that someday this land will be more than a field of dreams.

The committee is trying to raise $50,000 by the end of the year, if they succeed a donor will match their money giving their group $100,000. 

If you would like to donate to the group you can do so on their website by clicking here.