Anonymous donor gives small town chance for $1 million baseball complex

AMO, Ind. (WISH) — About 300 kids play in the Cascade Youth League in Amo, Indiana, population 401.

But there’s a problem: The current baseball complex is getting run down. 

“This dugout here is in need of some new posts. It’s leaning a bit,” said Nic Allen, the league’s board president.

Allen admitted that could make the complex a bit dangerous.

But with the help of $750,000 from an anonymous donor, the league will be soon getting a million-dollar baseball complex.

It’s a change the little leaguers who play there said they are excited about.

“We just have random community members who come down and enjoy watching the kids play,” said

It’s not just the dugouts that are in need of repairs. The fencing is made of wood; some fields don’t have any fences; the foul poles are tattered; and the drainage is poor. 

“Basically any time it rains, this area floods out,” said Allen.

That flooding can mean there are weeks when the kids, who dream of playing in the big leagues, can’t play. 

Allen said the anonymous donor approached the league about demolishing and redoing the entire baseball and softball complex. 

He had a couple stipulations: he remain anonymous, the league raise about $450,000 for the renovations, and the complex be named after late long-time coach Brian Burch, who died not too long ago after a battle with cancer.

“Brian was a big part of building even what you see here,” said Allen.

The league has already raised around $250,000. Supporters hope a Friday event at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex will help the league raise the rest. 

It’s a bold goal, but Allen said the excitement is high.

“This is a small town. Even just getting your coffee in the morning people have been talking about it,” he said. “It’s just extraordinary.”