Little league team in Mount Holly works to fundraise after flooding destroys gear
MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. (WPVI) -- Soggy baseballs, moldy mitts, and refrigeration equipment are rusting in the aftermath of the June 20 flooding in Mount Holly, New Jersey that hit one little league team particularly hard.
After the storms passed, the Rancocas Valley Little League staff came to find their fields were not only flooded, but so was their equipment shed and concession stand.
About two feet of water pooled inside the stand, damaging and spoiling all that was inside.
"Just about every single one of our appliances in the concession was completely gone," said league president Joshua Monday.
His wife Karyn says the loss is a devastating one for the non-profit.
"Without that stuff, we can't keep these fields the way they need to be kept," she said.
The concession stand has been around since 1953 and has seen some flooding, but the Mondays say never to the extent of this most recent flood.
The league has kept some of the damaged goods for insurance purposes and says, despite pleas from some to salvage the gear, Monday said it's a question of safety.
"For players safety, you know some people think, 'I'll take a Clorox wipe to it.' This stuff spent 48 hours in river muck and stuff you just can't even imagine," he explained.
The news wasn't all bad.
Shortly after the flood, player Christian Corbezzolo decided to be proactive and began thinking of ways of fundraising to recover what was lost.
"I was supposed to have a tournament that Saturday and I just felt bad because I couldn't play," he recalled.
With some help from his mother, Erica Mortimer, the two were able to set a donation deal at the Lumberton Philadelphia Pretzel Factory.
One donation. One free pretzel.
"We just couldn't believe how quickly it took off," Mortimer said. "I thought people would just bring like tiny things, but then people started bringing in huge things," Corbezzolo added.
While every bit helps, the team is still in need of equipment, especially for the concession stand.
Monday said he was touched by how much support there's been from the community, especially since so many others are still in the midst of recovering from the same flooding.
"That's the only way we get through this is that our families all work together to make something good happen," Monday said.
