A Lake Charles youth league received much needed help in replacing gear and other equipment damaged last year by Hurricane Laura.
The Cotton Foundation says that coaches with the Southwest Louisiana United States Specialty Sports Association were treated to a shopping day on Monday, May 3 at Academy Sports + Outdoors in Lake Charles.
A total of $5,800 was spent by coaches on equipment like t-balls, baseballs, batting tees, catcher's gear and more for the entire league.
The league was hit hard by Hurricane Laura which damaged four baseball fields and left much of their equipment unusable. Assistant Director for SWLA Dixie/USSSA Baseball Dax McCall said that the league was considering shutting down to continue recovering from the damage.
"After hurricanes Laura and Delta destroyed our park and equipment storage area as well as all of our equipment, we had several weeks of questions on where we go from here," said McCall. "We were on the verge of shutting down the league as we could see no light at the end of the tunnel and didn't have the reserve funds to start over. Luckily, we were blessed to receive a call from The Cotton Foundation and here we are, starting our season!"
The Cotton Foundation, a non-profit based in Houston, comitted $3,800 towards the league's new equipment. An additional $2,000 was provided by Academy.
Hundreds of players have already registered to take part in the 2021 spring season which opens later this month.
"As a Houstonian, I know how much damage a hurricane can cause and how devastating it can be to communities," said Larissa Potiomkin, Director of Cotton Foundation. "We're proud to partner with Academy Sports + Outdoors to support the Lake Charles community and help get these kids back out on the field in time for their spring season."
The Southwest Louisiana Dixie/USSSA league is a community league with softball and baseball teams for youth ages 3–18.
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