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Davis Journal

Centerville gets grant toward new batting cages

Nov 04, 2022 09:47AM ● By Linda Petersen

CENTERVILLE—The city has received the first funding for two proposed batting cages at Community Park. On Oct. 4 Rocky Mountain Power Regional Business Manager Kirk Nigro presented a check for $8,000 toward the project to city leaders on behalf of the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation.

“I’m really excited to present the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation grant award for your batting cages. We just want to reiterate our partnership with the community and especially your city and being able to make an investment and being able to power your city’s greatness,” he said.

Centerville Community Services Manager Bryce King applied for the grant on behalf of the city. 

“Centerville Recreation continues to have a strong reputation for youth baseball. Our participants have been asking for a batting cage for years and we just have not had the funds to create a separate batting cage for the kids to use,” he wrote in his grant proposal.

Centerville City currently serves around 800 youth in its baseball program. Although the city has received several requests for batting cages its recreation budget has not allowed it to provide them. King’s estimate for the two batting cages was $16,549 which includes concrete curb around the perimeter, a contingency and dirt for the foundation of the cage. This project would be for two batting cages.

Currently we serve around 800 youth between the spring and fall season. We also have dozens of competitive teams that use our facilities on a yearly basis. 

“Each year we have dozens of requests for a batting cage to be installed on site so kids have a place to warmup and practice hitting safely,” King wrote. 

King said the funds received from RMP is a good start and he will try to fundraise for the remaining funds. 

“This donation from RMP gives us the start to complete one of two batting cages,” he said. “We could put a really nice one in for $8,000 but it is not going to be enough to do it right.” 

King hopes that both batting cages can be constructed next spring.

At the Oct. 4 meeting Mayor Clark Wilkinson expressed appreciation to the RMP representatives for the funding.

“I want to say thank you so very much because we have talked about batting cages for our rec department for a long time so that grant is very much appreciated,” he said.λ