PUYALLUP, Wash. — A group of kids from South Hill Little League have earned their tickets to Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Representing the Northwest Region, they hope to spend two weeks at the Little League World Series, and they're optimistic that all of their parents will be able to join them on the journey.
The 11- and 12-year-olds are living the life of major league players: all expenses paid, charter flights arranged and national media coverage — but their families have to figure out how to get to Williamsport on their own while the kids are cared for.
The organization is currently seeking $50,000 to cover expenses such as lodging and transportation, specifically for families, which will help ease the financial burden on parents.
“It's expensive,” South Hill Little League President Jake Feitenheimer said.
But part of the problem is the team can't plan how long they'll stay in Williamsport.
“Going there to watch the game is a burden for a lot of parents. They want to be there for more than a week, so they'll stay in hotels for longer, eat out, do whatever they can, and then they need plane tickets to get there.”
A 99Pledges fundraiser has been set up to help, and as of Monday morning, just over $12,000 had been raised, but they're counting on the community to help.
Figuring out the logistics of how to get supporters to Pennsylvania and make sure everyone can participate will be a daunting task.
Parents like Aaron Brown, whose son Aiden plays center field, can attest to that.
“It's tough. Sure, the teams are paid, but they need their parents. They need a support system for their parents. Some of the kids have never been away from their parents for that long. So you really need to have that support system in place and set the boys up to be successful,” the former professional football player said.
There will also be a tournament opening watch party on Friday night at The Loose Wheel in Puyallup.
And Feitenheimer says he'll do everything in his power to raise as much money as possible.
“We're hoping a lot of people will come. We're going to sell T-shirts to raise a little bit of money. We're going to pass around batting helmets and get a bunch. We hope to get some money for parents to keep going there.”
In fact, this will be the fourth consecutive year that a Washington team has come to Williamsport.
But this team is on the cusp of securing something no other team has managed to achieve before: a berth in the U.S. title game and possibly a berth in the Little League World Championships.
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