LINCOLN PARK, Mich. – A Lincoln Park little league team is in need of help after its practice facility was destroyed by a fire Monday afternoon.
Glenn Higgins, President of The Junior Rails football team, says his phone started ringing around 4 p.m.
“I knew once I pulled up that everything I heard was true,” said Higgins. “Everything was going to be a loss for the kids.”
The volunteer organization is home to 86 football players and 77 cheerleaders. Fortunately, Sundays and Mondays are off days, and no one was hurt.
Still, any and everything housed in the building is gone.
“Every bit of our practice equipment, tackling dummies, practice dummies, every pad, every piece of equipment that wasn’t on a child’s back was in that building,” Higgins said.
It took firefighters from five different departments to put the fire out. The building is a total loss. It’s still not clear what caused the fire, but what is clear is that it will have an impact on the more than 150 kids ages five to 13 who participate in the football and cheer program.
Despite the massive setback, the team will practice Tuesday (Oct. 3) and play their regularly scheduled game Saturday.
“We talk to especially the boys a lot about the next play, only being the important play,” Higgins said. “Whatever happened in the last play is already over with; all we can do is move forward.”
That’s the message Higgins says they will share with the kids. People are already stepping in to help.
The Lincoln Park School District, which already hosts the teams’ games, is offering up its field for practice.
Higgins says other teams have also offered to help.
Then, on Tuesday, Lincoln Park Nutrition at 2617 Dix Highway is hosting a fundraiser from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a portion of the day’s sales going to the Junior Rails.
