LANESVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) — Flash flooding two months ago washed out nine Lanesville Youth League baseball and softball fields.
It left kids and their parents unsure whether they would have a season.
The flooding caused an estimated $1.2 million in damage, but parents came together to find possible solutions.
Chloe Riddle is a shortstop and pitcher for Lanesville Youth League's 12U All-Star team, and she loves the game.
IMAGES | Extreme flash flooding causes emergency evacuation in Lanesville, Indiana
"It just, like, hurt my feelings," Riddle said.
Mother Nature dumped 8 inches of rain on Lanesville in less than three hours.
It turned streets into rushing rivers and damaged Lanesville Youth League baseball and softball fields during its rage.
Fencing was ruined. Gravel, dirt, dugouts, batting cages - everything was flooded and washed away. For a second, Riddle thought her hopes for the upcoming softball season went with it.
"I didn't know if I was able to play again for my school," Riddle said.
Moms with children who play in the league weren't going to allow that to happen.
"They just cried because they thought their favorite place was gone," Jessica Blackman said. "As moms, we were like, 'All right, what do we do? How do we fix this?'"
"There is nothing left of this place. How do we come back from this?" Jessica Brewer said.
Jessica Brewer, Jessica Blackman and other parents came together, dug deep and geared up to play hardball. Over the last eight weeks, they've been planning the Lanesville Benefit fundraising event.
They hoped to raise money to restore the fields their kids love so much. Big repair cost estimates meant they had to go big or go home.
The moms reached out to hundreds of businesses.
"We have a spreadsheet of 635 businesses that we've reached out to that have donated," Jessica Blackman said.
They have raised $25,000 so far. They're hoping the benefit will help them get closer to their fundraising goal.
They want to keep smiles on the faces of more than 300 kids, just like Riddle, who love playing for Lanesville Youth League.
"You can't take no for an answer. You just have to keep on going," Jessica Blackman said.
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