Community rallies together after vandals destroy Little League concession stand
A Vermont community was left with a big mess to clean up after discovering their Little League concession stand was vandalized overnight.
League volunteers showed up to the field to windows and signs damaged — condiments like ketchup and mustard were smeared everywhere, and some snacks were taken. There was no money in the stand, and nothing else appeared to be taken.
Jason Laroche, Essex Town Little League president, said they need to evaluate the extent of the damage further to see if any equipment, like hot dog or popcorn machines, is still in working condition.
The operation at "The Home Plate," Laroche said, is vital to making baseball and softball accessible to the town's children and families, especially since the Little League is dependent on volunteers.
"The concession stand during our season is our biggest revenue," Laroche said. "We use that money to go back into the field, we use it to buy new uniforms, to buy new screens, new batting cages."
Laroche said people have already come forward to donate money. One person has even offered to give them security cameras.
As kids practiced with their All-Star teams, some parents, like Brianna Williams and Christina Lord, hung around to clean the concession stand from top to bottom.
"It affects the kids first and foremost," said Williams. "My 13-year-old was like 'why would somebody do that?'"
"It was really awful to see something like this happen," said Lord. "[My son] couldn't understand why someone would want to do this and neither do I."
While there are still repairs that need to be made, they got rid of the mess and were able to secure the building.
"We'll rally together, get it fixed up, have it back and ready to go before next season," Laroche said.
The Little League is working with the police department to identify the vandals.
