Irma Minor Ball Diamond Revitalization Project

The Cause

Irma Minor Ball in Irma is a very strong program that has deep roots all the way back to 1952. We are famous for our ball program both provincially and nationally, with many tournaments hosted provincially every year and even national tournaments (where Irma won). Irma Minor Ball gives children the opportunity to interact with their peers, enjoy the outdoors, and stay physically active. All of these have been deeply missed over the last 2 years so we are excited to offer this to our young families once again (registration numbers are at 156- total population of Irma is 500!). And our program is not just for children. Many parents and adults gather at the ball diamonds every weekend as spectators and/or volunteers.

With increasing registration numbers and young families in our community, Irma minor ball would like to build a new playground at the ball diamonds for children and their siblings to enjoy. There is currently only a swing set at the ball diamonds and with thousands of kids coming to the ball diamonds every year, we want to provide them with a safe and enjoyable activity while their brother/sister/mom/dad play or watch ball. Also, Irma has been a prominent fastball community for 70 years. Unfortunately, the boys program for fastball is fading so it is time to make the transition to baseball. Irma currently does not have a full size baseball diamond, so we are upgrading one of our 4 diamonds to be the new baseball diamond. This includes removal of existing equipment (pitching machine, dugouts, bleachers, perimeter fencing etc.), landscaping for larger infield, and the purchase/installation of new perimeter fencing, backstop, bleachers, scoreboard, and shale. The bulk of the labor will be completed by our great volunteer base, but we are looking for funding to help cover costs of material.

Who Will it Benefit?

As mentioned, there are many young families enrolled in the minor ball program and almost all of them have more than one child that attends the practices and games. While their brother or sister are on the ball diamond, it would be great to provide a safe and modern playground for them to enjoy and interact with each other. Regarding the new ball diamond, there currently is no facility in Irma that is suitable to host baseball games on a regulation sized diamond. The up and coming generation of baseball players are approaching the age where this is a necessity if we want to continue to have baseball teams in our community for teenagers and adults. In addition to the immediate benefits to local baseball players and their families, other members of the community can access the facility at any time! The playground is for the community to use and enjoy at their leisure. The ball diamonds are open to the public year round, so if families want to use the playground even when there is no ball games/tournaments being played, they always can. Also, the new ball diamond will be open to the public at any time. Regularly scheduled practices/games/tournaments will take priority, but if there are players or teams looking to practice or use the ball diamond for fun, they can always do so. The school often uses Irma Minor Ball facilities for school programs.