Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 1, 1993 TAG: 9307010541
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By KAREN L. DAVIS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But he also found out that there are many generous people in the community willing to give to a good cause.
His project with the Glenvar Baseball League, which has a Little League charter, started in April 1992, when he set out to find the ways and means to light three ball fields at Green Hill Park for nighttime use. But it wasn't until May 5 this year that the first evening game was played under the new lights.
"We thought we would start with one or two poles at a time. So I called Koppers Industries to get a price. Next thing I knew, Koppers had donated 12 poles, enough for all three fields. Those poles are worth about $500 apiece," Sessions said.
Mark Francks, plant manager for Koppers Industries Inc. in Salem, said his company donated the poles because, "we want to be a good corporate citizen and a good neighbor." And since many plant employees have children who play ball at the park, he said Koppers also sponsors a T-ball team for the Glenvar league.
Once Sessions had the 60-foot light poles, weighing more than 4,000 pounds each, he needed somebody with a crane to help put them in the ground. For that task, he called upon his own employer, C&P Telephone.
In January, "C&P put the poles in the ground with four volunteers on a Saturday in half a day," said Sessions, a C&P cable splicer. Sessions was one of those volunteers.
Green Hill Park, on Diuguids Lane off U.S. 11 in western Roanoke County, was dedicated in 1990. Its most publicized feature is an equestrian center for horse shows.
Jim Jones, assistant director for the Roanoke County Parks and Recreation Department, said the equine center at Green Hill is self supporting, since the users pay for its maintenance.
Jones said money raised by volunteers and clubs using the park's facilities "goes a long way toward helping [the county] provide the services to them."
Jones said the initial projected cost of lighting the ball fields at Green Hill Park was approximately $30,000.
"It was in the plans for Roanoke County to eventually light all of these fields, but our program was growing so fast, we just couldn't wait. That's when I put a call in to [Roanoke County Supervisor] Ed Kohinke and told him what we needed," Sessions said.
When the league's request was presented to the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, "The county voted 5-0 to give us $15,000 to buy fixtures," Sessions said.
"[The county] purchased the fixtures, and the club came through with the installation and the poles," Jones said.
For the installation, Appalachian Power Co. donated high-voltage cable, transformers and labor for wiring the light poles, plus three dusk-to-dawn lights, Sessions said.
Westinghouse Electric Supply Co. also donated electrical conduit and wiring materials, he said.
"Paul Hodges, our electrician, was the one who talked to Westinghouse and Hubbell Lighting and got us a good price on the light fixtures. We have him to thank for working it out with them together," Sessions said.
Now with lights, the league can have night practice and late games, Sessions said.
The league has about 300 players this year, "more than any other year," Sessions said. Players, ages 6 to 16, sign up for T-ball, softball and baseball.
"We've also unexpectedly added six more teams because of the number of kids who signed up this year," Sessions said.
"This is the first year we've had an all-girls' T-ball team," he said.
Sessions' wife, Sharon, is president of the league. Their children have participated in league sports, too.
An electronic scoreboard for each ball field was donated by the Omelet Shoppe on Wildwood Road, Interstate Batteries of Roanoke and Moore's Lumber and Building Supplies. Each $2,300 scoreboard displays the donor's name.
Most of the businesses that donated materials or services also sponsor teams, Sessions said. Sponsoring a team costs from $175 to $500, depending on the sport and the type of sponsorship. Sponsors help pay for uniforms and equipment. All team sponsors have their company names displayed on a board in the concession stand.
The Glenvar Baseball League also runs the concession stand and staffs it with volunteers. The league uses the money for various projects, such as buying a batting cage and pitching machine and holding baseball clinics for coaches.
by CNB