Glacier 13U All Stars still short on World Series trip funds

They made the big dance, now they just have to get there.

The Glacier Babe Ruth 13U All Stars, a team made up of players from Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Bigfork, became just the second team in state history to qualify for the Babe Ruth World Series when it won the Pacific Northwest divisional last week in Helena. However, finding a way to get an entire 12-player team from Montana to Glen Allen, Va., a Northern suburb of the state capital of Richmond, isn’t cheap.

Coaches and parents have estimated the team needs to raise $30,000 to cover the costs of the trip.

“We’re fundraising like crazy,” head coach Mike McPhee said.

Babe Ruth has paid for the team to fly out of Portland, Ore., to Virginia and paid for one rental car. The team is fundraising to cover the costs of getting to Portland as well as the costs at the tournament, including lodging, transportation and food for nine days.

The team has already raised an estimated $17,000 and is holding a series of fundraisers around the Flathead Valley this weekend to close the final gap.

They will be holding a hamburger night and silent auction at 6 p.m. tonight at Owney’s Cafe in Bigfork to start the fundraising tour. A car wash will be held at First Interstate Bank in Whitefish from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and a free bowling night will be held on Sunday from 5-9 p.m. at the Pin & Cue in Whitefish. There are two events on Monday, starting with car washes from 8:30 a.m-6:30 p.m. at the Blue Cow Car Wash in Kalispell. MacKenzie River Grill & Pub in North Kalispell will be donating 20 percent of proceeds of customers with a printed team flyer on Monday night to the team.

Donations are also being taken on the team’s website at 13uworldseries.myevent.com.

The team is scheduled to fly out of Portland on Thursday. The tournament starts next Saturday.