Kristin Hower, Summit's senior vice president of marketing, tells GlobeSt.com that employees not only pitched in to build the Steve Finley Field at Smith Park on the southeast corner of 41st and Grand avenues, but they also got the company's subcontractors to contribute as well.
Nelson Architects of Scottsdale designed the field to include a scoreboard and bleachers and seeded the outfield with the same grass used in the Diamondbacks' home park. On Aug. 7, Diamondback player Steve Finley joined Summit Builders' president Jeffrey C. Stone, project manager Cliff Burns and construction director Ron Lopez for a ground-breaking ceremony.
Finley will also be there to throw out the first pitch when the park is dedicated. "We're really excited to be involved in this," Hower said of the program to build or replace little league ball fields in low-income neighborhoods throughout the valley.
In addition to Steve Finley Field, the charity organization has been involved in building four other little league fields--named after Diamondback players Matt Williams, Randy Johnson, Kurt Schilling and Jay Bell. The two parks on the drawing board are Brian Anderson Park in Glendale and Todd Stottlemeyer Park in Guadalupe.
Hower said in addition to providing a quality ball field to little leaguers, the construction projects have had an added bonus--they've become a gathering spot for families in urban Phoenix. "The community reaction has been tremendous," said Hower. "It's really heartwarming.
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