The Field of Dreams

"The Fields of Dreams", the Woodland Girls Fastpitch softball program needs assistance to build a (3-field) Fastpitch Complex for the girl athletes in our City. "When We Build It, More Will Come". Presently there are 300 girls, ages 5-17, who participate in the Woodland Fastpitch program. These young girls play on a leased field at Douglas Middle School, the facility is not a regulation size field, there is no access for Handicapped guests or Handicapped parking there are only portable restrooms for the girls and their parents/guests and the snack bar is without running water or a sewer connection, and guest parking is limited to on street parking.

The Woodland Fastpitch program began in 1960 and the program has struggled with the same inadequate facility for over 70 years while the community has developed seven fields for Little League/Cal Ripken, Babe Ruth and Legion Baseball. California Assembly Bills 2404 and 2881, sponsored by Assembly Women Aguilar-Curry, now require equitable facilities for girls, compared to boys facilities throughout California. Your assistance is gravely needed to correct this injustice in Woodland!

The Woodland Recreation Foundation has identified the Woodland Fastpitch project as their major focus and is a 501c3 charitable organization. The Woodland Recreation Foundation is working with the Woodland Girls Fastpitch parent organization to raise the necessary funds to correct this situation. Through the efforts of Peabody Engineering and TSC-Turf, Inc., plans and specifications have been approved by the City of Woodland.

The phase 1 project budget is slightly over $800,000 of which the Foundation has raised just over $400,000. Thus our Go Fund Me Goal is $400,000. Phase one will include two regulation Fastpitch fields (one lighted), a gravel parking area and portable restrooms.

These funds were raised through securing the naming rights to the facility; The Dowling Fastpitch Complex and the naming of one of the fields for the Layton & Hazel Knagg's Family. There continue to be naming opportunities as the project moves forward.

Woodland Fastpitch has a great partner in the City of Woodland. The City has provided the land for the facility and bringing the necessary utilities to the site. The City has also agreed to partner with the Woodland Recreation Foundation on grant applications.

There are may ways to assist the Woodland Recreation Foundation and the Woodland Fastpitch program in constructing Phase 1 of the project. The Go Fund Me process is the most streamline way to get funds to the Woodland Recreation Foundation to complete Phase 1. However there are other needs such as building materials, equipment use/rentals, equipment operators, skilled labor as well as spreading the word and advertising the project needs.

Please Contact the Woodland Recreation Foundation at [email redacted] for further information!