Grandstands rebuilding fund reaches $90,000
Two months after a fire wiped out the classic wooden grandstands at the Columbia Falls baseball stadium, donations have come to nearly $90,000 to rebuild the structure.
“It’s been really amazing to see how giving people have been,” said Ray Queen, the president of the Glacier Babe Ruth League. “It shows what happens when you gain the trust of a community.”
Queen said the $90,000 raised so far has ranged from individuals dropping off loose change to companies donating thousands of dollars. He said the money is a little more than $10,000 shy of the league’s goal to rebuild the grandstands.
The bleachers at the Sapa-Johnsrud Babe Ruth Fields caught fire at night June 27. According to emergency responders, the fire appeared to have begun in a trash can under the bleachers with the flames eventually reaching the wooden grandstands.
While the stands didn’t burn to the ground, they were a total loss, Queen said.
The stadium’s wooden roof crumpled into the seats, which were a mix of ash and burned wood. The dugouts and other facilities nearby were untouched by the fire.
The Columbia Falls Police Department still is investigating the fire. As of this week, there were no leads into what or who caused the fire.
“I’m not sure we’ll ever hear exactly what happened,” Queen said. “Our focus has been to plan for the field’s future.”
Among the donors was NorthWestern Energy, which this month contributed $5,000 and offered to provide machinery and company volunteers to help rebuild the grandstands.
Tom Moody, manager of NorthWestern’s Kalispell District, said the money is an investment in the communities the power firm serves.
“The loss of the baseball stadium is a blow to the Flathead Valley, a place where we are proud to live and do business,” Moody said.
The league played its last game in the stadium the Sunday before it burned.
The Sapa-Johnsrud Babe Ruth Fields were named in memory of two former players — Jimmy Sapa and Ray Johnsrud — who died in a collision with a train while they were driving home from a baseball practice.
Queen, who played alongside Sapa and Johnsrud, said the classic wooden stadium acted like a time capsule that former and current baseball players could walk in and out of.
Queen said he hopes the new grandstands show a glimpse of what the community worked together to build in the 1980s. But, he said that desire has to be balanced with creating a new place for children and families to gather in time for the next baseball season.
“We’re still in the design process, and until we have those drawings complete, it’s hard to know how much money we will need and what kind of timeline we’re looking at,” Queen said. “But we’re prioritizing getting it built in time for April, and with the support so far, that feels possible.”
People wanting to donate to the project can make a direct donation to a Glacier Bank checking account called Columbia Falls Grandstands or visit http://www.glacierbaberuth.org for more information and other donation options.
Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.