De Witt looking to raise money for new baseball field lights this weekend

DE WITT - The Saline County village of De Witt is looking to upgrade the lighting at its ballfields at Petersen Park.

"These lights were put in the 1980s or 90s," De Witt Baseball Organization board member Rich Dike said. "We can't find parts for them anymore. They're hard to repair. We need new lights."

Dike says the outfield in De Witt tends to get pretty dark during night games. At its peak, Petersen Park will host 3-4 games up to four nights a week. Later games typically end at around 10 or 11 p.m.

A variety of tee ball and pee wee leagues play on the fields in De Witt during the summer. De Witt's American and National Junior League teams also make use of the facility.

With a need for new lights, the village is holding an event Saturday called "Light Up the Ball Field." A beer garden will open at 5 p.m., with four bands performing throughout the evening. Music will begin at 6 p.m. There will also be a meal provided by the American Legion. They'll be serving hamburgers and hot dogs throughout the night.

The four bands performing will be Custom 20, Sundown, Kimball Street Band and Sawyer Jay Duo. Most of those bands feature local talent.

With strong community support, and a favorable weather forecast, Dike is confident that this fundraising event will be successful.

"The community comes together real well with everything they do," Dike said. "A lot of people volunteer a lot of time to keep the (baseball) program running well."

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