Build Our Ballpark

Dear Friends and Supporters,

After a one year hiatus we are at it again, riding the annual RAGBRAI bike ride across the State of Iowa to raise funds for Build Our Ballpark – our Waterloo, Iowa-based charity which builds youth baseball parks for needy communities in the Midwest. To date Build Our Ballpark has helped build 59 new youth baseball and softball facilities, re-energizing the game of baseball in many of these communities and making a difference in the lives of thousands of children.

RAGBRAI is an annual bicycle ride across the State of Iowa - this year 7 days and 500 miles during this last week of July. That’s right – they forgot to turn on the air conditioning! So what are we doing on a bike? Nearly 15 years ago my son, Robert, developed the Build Our Ballpark RAGBRAI Bike Team with the idea that if we were crazy enough to endure these miles and this heat for something in which we truly believed (i.e. bringing baseball and softball back into these communities), that our friends ‘might support us’? And we keep coming back for more!

And so here’s the pitch: We’re crazy enough to be out here – will you support us in this cause and consider a donation to Build Our Ballpark. 100% of your dollars go directly into facilities for kids – and make a tremendous difference for these communities. We’re raising via a special Go Fund Me link - both here https://gofund.me/45620df1 and copied below.

From the backroads of Iowa, we hope you are having a terrific summer. Thank you – and as in past years, you’ll receive a couple of updates with pictures and commentary over the remainder of the week.

The RAGBRAI Build Our Ballpark team

Help us bring back youth baseball and softball, organized by Bob Hellman We're riding the annual RAGBRAI ride to help raise funds to benefit Build … Bob Hellman needs your support for Help us bring back youth baseball and softball