Coaches, Players of the Year featured on Celebrations cover
Kudos, again, to our Coaches of the Year Award winners, as well as The Optimist Club of Waterloo Player of the Year recipients! They appeared on the Celebrations cover inside today’s Waterloo-Cedar Falls...
read moreA decade of building ballparks!
Build Our Ballpark has covered—or rather, UNCOVERED—much ground over the past 10 years, and that’s something worth celebrating! Founder Bob Hellman couldn’t be more proud of the talented folks he has worked with, all that’s been accomplished, as well as projects in the works. “It’s been a hoot to relive my childhood—to be in one of our ‘parks’ and hear the roar of the crowd and the cheers of the kids,” he says. Check out today’s back cover of Celebrations inside your Waterloo-Cedar Falls...
read moreKruger-Hemmen Sports Complex Marks Inaugural Season
DIKE, IOWA (May 9, 2018)—A $1.6 million outdoor recreational venue in Dike will commemorate its inaugural season this weekend. Kruger-Hemmen Sports Complex, 545 E. State St., will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 12, for a dedication program, on-field scrimmages and a free pork sandwich meal. In case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for the evening of Friday, June 1. The 25-acre site is situated along U.S. Highway 20 and features four baseball/softball diamonds; football fields; soccer fields;...
read moreCongratulations to Bob Hellman for receiving an IPRA award!
WATERLOO, IOWA (March 29,2017)—Recently, the Iowa Parks and Recreation Association held its annual conference in Waterloo, and Bob Hellman was presented with the Claude Ahrens Community Service Award! The award is given every year to a citizen outside the parks and recreation profession who has supported recreational activities and resources within their communities, area, and state. As the founder of Build Our Ballpark, Hellman has helped create 39 state-of-the-art playing fields in five Iowa communities and one in California. Bob started...
read moreCedar Valley Elite Baseball Academy
WATERLOO, IOWA — If you’re a fan of America’s favorite pastime, this won’t be the last time you see these talented faces! This group of young men and women gave up their Sundays this holiday season to hone their skills in baseball—and, for the first time, softball—under the guidance of some amazing collegiate and high school coaches at the Cedar Valley SportsPlex. This year marked the first year of the Cedar Valley Elite Softball Academy, and we couldn’t have asked for a finer group of dedicated young women. The second...
read moreHistory of Waterloo Youth Baseball Now on Display
WATERLOO, IOWA (January 26, 2017) — Build Our Ballpark and the Optimist Club of Waterloo recently teamed up to create a tribute to 70 years of Waterloo boys’ and girls’ baseball and softball. Build Our Ballpark designed the interior display of a cabinet built by members of the Optimist Club, which can now be seen in the lobby of the Cedar Valley SportsPlex in Waterloo. Bob Hellman, founder of Build Our Ballpark and member of the first Optimist Club boys’ baseball team in 1947, was more than happy to help out. “The...
read moreKruger Hemmen Sports Complex to Open Spring 2016
Dike area residents stood watching, filled with excitement, as the first shovelfuls of soil were turned over during the July 6 groundbreaking ceremony for the Kruger-Hemmen Sports Complex. It will not only change the landscape, but will change the lives of countless kids for generations to come. “Thank you!” to all our contributors, with special recognition to: Major Donors Dennis and Holly Kruger Build Our Ballpark State Bank Black Hawk Gaming Association McElroy Trust The Hemmen Family Peoples Savings Bank The Guernsey...
read moreB.O.B. Welcomes New Board Member
WATERLOO, IOWA (August 24, 2015) – Build Our Ballpark, the organization dedicated to providing today’s youth with quality spaces to play baseball and softball, is thrilled to welcome a new member to its Board of Directors. Jolan Cockrell is an Art Director at Hellman, an advertising agency in Waterloo, Iowa. He has been active with Build Our Ballpark since the very beginning, when Hellman Field in Waterloo was in its concept phase. “I’m excited to work more closely with the group and continue building ballparks across the country, getting...
read moreHomer Field at Willie Mays Ballpark Opens May 9, 2015
Congratulations to the Menlo-Atherton Little League, Willie Mays, The Homer Foundation, Mike Gardner and Bob Hellman Jr. on the successful completion and opening of Homer Field at Willie Mays Ballpark, May 9, 2015. Build Our Ballpark is pleased to contribute the ballpark design concepts and the related fundraising and promotional materials.
read moreRun the Bases 5k/10k Raises $5,000 for Build Our Balllpark
Inaugural Race Draws Hundreds of Athletes and Fans WATERLOO, IOWA (August 20, 2014) – Build Our Ballpark and the Cedar Valley SportsPlex hit it out of the park on Saturday with their first – ever Run the Bases 5K/10K. The event, which included a short Fun Run for kids in addition to the 5K and 10K races, drew about 225 participants, even more family and friends, and raised more than $5,000 for Build Our Ballpark. “We are absolutely thrilled with the turnout for the first year of this race,” said Bob Hellman, founder and executive...
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