Wichita baseball’s League 42 hits $3.6 million in fundraising for education center
The League 42 Foundation, which runs a popular Wichita youth baseball league, has reached more than half of its $6 million fundraising goal, it announced in a news release on Friday.
The “Kids First Campaign” has garnered more than $3.6 million, including a $400,000 grant from a non-profit organization in Tulsa, with a goal of constructing a youth education center, a fourth baseball field at McAdams Park and renovations to the three existing fields.
The centerpiece of the project is the education center, which is planned to be 10,500 square feet and would be used for after-school tutoring for League 42 players. It will include a 23-station computer lab, an indoor baseball training area, a community center and the organization’s first-ever office space.
“We are proud to announce we will be building the Leslie Rudd Education Center,” Bob Lutz, League 42 founder and a former Eagle columnist, said in the release. “The Rudd Foundation’s $1 million leadership gift will be helping Wichita children for decades to come. We are proud to honor Leslie, who was a supporter of the Wichita community for decades during his lifetime.”
Rudd, who died in 2018, was a local entrepreneur and philanthropist who owned Standard Beverage, among other businesses. One year before he passed, Rudd established the Rudd Scholars Program, which gives full-ride college scholarships, along with academic and life mentoring, for Pell-eligible Kansas natives who attend Wichita State, Fort Hays State or Emporia State. More than 100 Kansas high school graduates have benefited from the program in four years.
According to the release, businesses such as Cargill, Fidelity Bank, Intrust Bank, Spirit AeroSystems, the Lattner Family Foundation, the Meyer Charitable Trust and David Murfin have helped the League 42 Foundation reach the $3.6 million mark.
For more information on how to donate to the League 42 Foundation and the Kids First Campaign, those interested are encouraged to reach out to Lutz at 316-655-1028 or via email at league42wichita@gmail.com.
“When we started League 42 eight years ago, it was with the specific mission of using a team sport — baseball — to help kids 5 to 14,” Lutz said in a release. “It’s about more than baseball. Kids learn the values of commitment, teamwork, fair play, and personal responsibility. They build character and a can-do spirit. These are the skill sets that will serve them throughout life.”
This story was originally published September 24, 2021 at 5:08 PM.
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