New concession building should be up this fall
By Julie Rossman
Correspondent
For about six years, it’s been a vision of both Scott Smith and Jackie Fonk – a permanent concession stand and bathrooms at the Yorkville Youth Baseball/Yorkville Girls Fast Pitch diamonds located behind Yorkville Elementary School.
With generous support of the local business community, that vision will become reality later this year.
Jeff Marsh of Charcoal Grill; Jim Willkomm, Iron Skillet; and Rikki Storbeck, R&R Pizza, have each pledged $5,000 for naming rights to one of the three Yorkville diamonds for the next 5 years.
Each diamond has been marked with a 5-foot by 10-foot sign, bearing each of the sponsor’s names and logo.
• Storbeck currently has one son who plays for the Major Orioles, and a younger son who will likely play in the future. Storbeck has also volunteered as a coach.
“I’ve always been interested in the Little League program succeeding,” Storbeck said.
Storbeck co-owns R&R Pizza, on Main Street in Union Grove. He describes the sponsorship as a win-win.
“It will help out the kids and let everybody know where we’re at,” Storbeck said.
• Jim Willkomm has two daughters in the fast pitch program at Yorkville and has been coaching for the last 4 years.
“We’re on those fields all year long … I see the need for a new concession stand and bathrooms,” Willkomm said.
The owner of Iron Skillet Restaurant in Yorkville, Willkomm said when he was approached about the sponsorship, it was an easy answer. “I said ‘of course I’ll help out – we definitely need it,’” Willkomm said.
• Char-Grill, Inc. President Jeff Marsh has four children – all of whom have been, or are still, involved in baseball and fast pitch at the Yorkville diamonds. Marsh has also volunteered as a coach in the past.
For Marsh, the main reason behind his sponsorship is to give back to the community. Marsh’s company operates three Charcoal Grill Restaurants in Racine County.
“This was a prefect opportunity to help pay for the facilities,” Marsh said. “It’s all about the kids,” he added.
Jackie Fonk is co-coordinator of the sponsor program along with Scott Smith, both of Yorkville. Fonk has been working on generating sponsorships, while Smith is covering the technical part of the project.
Each of them currently have, or have had, children involved in the Yorkville youth baseball and fast pitch programs, and both are passionate about moving the programs forward.
“We are so excited about the support generated by the local business community,” Fonk said. “They recognize the importance of Yorkville Youth Sports in the community,” she added.
Additionally, sponsorships for smaller 4-foot by 8-foot signs are also being sold, with 14 such signs already in place. According to Fonk, sponsorship for the smaller signs, which are being placed on the outfield fences, are being sold at $1,000 for a 5-year commitment.
All the signs were produced by Rob Whalen of the Sign Resource, Union Grove.
“The signs look great,” said Yorkville parent Melissa Tenhagen, who currently has both a son and a daughter involved in the programs.
Tenhagen has served as concession stand chair for her son’s team for several years, and says she will welcome a new stand.
“We’ll be able to do so much more with a new concession stand – and the bathrooms will be a nice addition as well,” she said.
Scott Smith serves as Yorkville Youth Baseball Commissioner. Though his teenage sons are no longer involved in the programs, he has remained committed to his commissioner job and to making improvements at the diamonds.
“It is very rewarding in the sense that I can help to provide a program that so many children can participate in, and that everyone can be proud to be a part of,” Smith said.
The new building will feature a larger concession stand, complete with running water, bathrooms and storage. With the current sponsor commitments, Smith says they should be able to get the new building up this fall.
That will be the first phase.
They will also need to add a well and septic, and finish the inside of the building. Smith says he will be looking for additional donations of volunteer time and or materials as construction begins this fall.
Besides all of the generous sponsors, Smith expressed gratitude to the Town of Yorkville and to Yorkville Elementary School.
“I’d like to thank the Town of Yorkville and its board members, along with the Yorkville Elementary School and its board members, for their continued support in making the Yorkville Youth Baseball and Yorkville Girls Fast Pitch programs possible, and for the use of the facilities they they play their home games on,” Smith said.
“This is truly something that the community, parents and players can be proud to be a part of,” he added.
For more information on a sign sponsorship, or to volunteer labor or materials, contact Jackie Fonk at (262) 994-0866 or email [email protected]
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