Union help makes Braintree Little League snack bar dreams come true

(Photo courtesy of Braintree Little League)

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Braintree baseball fans will be well fed, thanks to help from the Local Union 424 - the New England Regional Council of Carpenters.

The new snack bar at Hollingsworth Park in Braintree is the latest addition to the Braintree Little League ball field, which hosts over 700 young players every year. And although the construction seems like a small addition, its impact has been big.

According to Steve Guilbault, the vice president for the League’s Board of Directors, the estimated $10,000 project was entirely donated by the union.

“That’s money that we would have had to raise and pay off. It means a lot to the program,” Guilbault said. “We host a lot of tournaments, and have a lot of complexes in the South Shore, and guys like that help further [our organization].”

The donation wasn’t even something the organization solicited or applied for, Guilbault said. A Little League parent, who is a member of the union, heard about the prospective project, and came up with an idea to help.

“[The parent] heard that we were building this, and he offered their services,” Guilbault said. “They do a lot of ball field work and community projects, so the parent hooked us up with the guy who was the general contractor for us, and that’s kind of how it happened.”

Although the snack bar probably would have been built without the donated help, the time and money saved has enabled the league to keep costs for participants low.

All in all, it’s a trickle-down effect, Guilbault said. “It allows us to offer great services, have a very nice complex, and keep it affordable for all those families,” he said.

The donation has even garnered the attention of Town Hall, who praised the union’s efforts.

“In these challenging times, this kind of volunteer effort is especially valued,” said Peter Morin, the chief of staff and operations for Braintree.

Currently, the league is building a patio at the field off family donations. The group will host their annual raffle this summer to raise additional funds for other projects and improvements for the field.

For more information on Braintree Little League and their fund-raising efforts, visit their website.