Burnet athletics receives about $30,000 in donations for Bulldog Diamond
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — The Burnet High School athletics department received two items on its wish list that will benefit Bulldog Diamonds thanks to the generosity of two anonymous donors.
“I think there’s a blessing that there are people in the community who have a passion for Burnet athletes and helping young people,” athletic director Kurt Jones said. “They’re improving the facility players get to practice in and play in.”
The most recent gift was $20,000 for batting cages that will be constructed between the baseball and softball fields. The total cost is $20,420. Administrators will take the remaining balance out of the softball team’s activity fund.
“We’ve been trying to figure out a way to make batting cages for over a year,” Jones said. “It’s a project that’s been on the table. This donation can help accomplish that.”
The money will be used to build two cages side by side.
There are indoor batting cages located next to the old baseball field on campus. Jones said that location makes it difficult for coaches to monitor activities on the fields and in the cages.
The addition of the new cages also means visiting teams will have access to them before games.
Despite baseball and softball being “spring” sports, athletes likely will use the new facilities throughout the year as they prepare for their seasons.
Without the donation, Jones isn’t sure how the district would have paid for new batting cages.
“I don’t know that we could have rolled that into the budget and made it work out,” he said.
The other donation was for $10,000 to create a halo around home plate of the baseball field and on-deck circles near dugouts at both the baseball and softball fields. The total cost of that project is $10,100. The remaining balance will come from the baseball activity fund.
One of the sayings of the Burnet athletic department is “none of us are as strong as all of us.” Jones said these donations clearly exemplify that statement.
“It does take all of us,” he said. “We always welcome people who have a passion for Burnet athletics and young people to help us in any way possible.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com