PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (EYT) – Everyone had left, the games were done for the day, and the concession stand for the Groundhog Little League sat empty and waiting for another game.
(The inside of the Groundhog Little League Concession Stand. Photo by Jim Sloniger.)
Instead, one of the fryers caught on fire. When the blaze was put out, the concession stand was just a shell – equipment and the roof gone.
“It was pretty much a total loss,” said Groundhog Little League’s Jim Sloniger. “We have to rebuild and get that thing up and running as quickly as we can.”
It will still take time and money.
Sloniger said that the goal is to work through the rest of the year, so the concession stand will be ready to go for the spring season.
A replacement project like this will be costly. Fortunately, there is a memorial fund from 2006 that the league can use to get started. But, it’s a long way off from the goal.
“We need to replace the roof, complete with trusses and roofing,” Sloniger said. “Once that’s done, then new electric service. Then we bring in new fryers, grill, freezer, but we may have saved a couple of coolers. With all of that, we’re estimating $30,000.00 or $40,000.00. So that’s where we are.”
The fundraising is underway. The fire was on June 13, and the board immediately went to work at getting money. The fund they had access to gave them $10,000.00. After that, there will be a gun raffle this fall, a car wash, and donation drives. The group set up a Go Fund Me page for people who want to help out. S&T Bank also has an account set up for donations. In addition, the board is also personally contacting businesses in the community to get funding for the new concession stand.
The Elk Run Fire Department loaned the little league their concession trailer. So as the summer season continues, the concession stand does not have to stop selling.
“We set a goal of $40,000.00 in fundraising, and we’re at 38 percent already,” Sloniger said. “We have had some major donors step up. All the firemen did a fantastic job. Now we have to rebuild.”
Fire burns through the Groundhog Little League concession stand on June 13, 2018. (Photo by Jim Sloniger).
A firefighter walks away from the fire at the Groundhog Little League concession stand on June 13, 2018 (Photo by Jim Sloniger).
Crews work on the damaged structure of the concession stand (Photo by Jim Sloniger).
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