HOUSTON BOROUGH, Pa. — The Pittsburgh Pirates jumped in to help save the season for the Chartiers-Houston Girls Softball Association after a series of floods put it in doubt.
Even against Mother Nature, the power of community is undefeated.
>> Chartiers-Houston Youth Softball League fields destroyed in flooding
President of the association James Hollenbach said he was at a loss for words when he saw the flooding on April 9.
It was the second time in a week that heavy rains forced a nearby creek to overflow and flood the nearby softball field.
“I just stopped and stared,” Hollenbach said. “What do you do? We just went through this, and this is way worse. The first flood was a few inches. This is five feet, nine inches.”
The season for the girl’s softball program was set to begin in only a few weeks, but at the time, that felt like an unreachable goal.
“The fences were all down,” Hollenbach said. “The infield was completely gone. There were trees and telephone poles on the infield. It was way more than what the six of us board members could have handled.”
Everyone rushed to help.
Parents, local businesses and even the Pirates pitched in.
The Pirates’ Fields For Kids program specializes in renovating community fields.
Team president Travis Williams told Channel 11 that the organization jumped in to help as soon as they saw the photos of the flooding.
“Everybody came together, repaired the field and got it back in action in time for them to be able to play their games today,” Williams said Thursday.
Hollenbach added that without the community’s help, they still may not have a season. Instead, they were able to start on time last week.
“It was remarkable. There were people everywhere. The football team showed up. There was an outpour of help.”
The Pirates and the Chartiers-Houston Girls Softball Association celebrated the renovation ahead of a game on the field Thursday.
Players and coaches will also attend a Pirates game on Saturday to celebrate a job well done.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2024 Cox Media Group