| A donation from the Tucson
Conquistadores and support from three Major League Baseball
organizations helped the once nomadic Challenger Little League find
a permanent home. The League and the Randolph Little League now play
at the Tucson Conquistadores Field of Dreams, at South Kino Parkway
and East 36th Street.
The complex was named after the
Tucson Conquistadores, who donated $100,000 to help build the $1.2
million complex, said Bill Fields, assistant district administrator
for Challenger Little League.
"As the Field of Dreams started
taking form, we knew we wanted to be involved," said Joel Estes,
Conquistadores treasurer.
The Tucson Conquistadores is a
nonprofit business organization that hosts the Tucson Open, its only
source of fund-raising. "Our mission is to promote youth athletics,"
said Judy McDermott of the Conquistadores and director of the
Touchstone Energy Tucson Open tournament.
The Field of Dreams consists of three
baseball fields and one softball field at the Little League Complex
located at 1575 E. 36th St.. The three baseball fields were named
after Challenger supporters Bill Janssen and Glenn Warnes and the
Tucson Conquistadores.
The fields were built in the form of
the Arizona Diamondbacks' Bank One Ballpark, the Chicago White Sox's
Comiskey Park and the Colorado Rockies' Coors Field. All three Major
League Baseball teams donated money to help build the fields, Fields
said. Other contributors to the project include Jim Click and Phelps
Dodge Corp.
Anyone with a child with a disability
who has a desire to play baseball, or who wants to donate time or
baseball equipment to Challenger Little League can call the
Challenger Little League hot line at 712-9448.
Christian
Richardson-AZSTARNET
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