Donations poured in Wednesday to replace a destroyed statue of Jackie Robinson on what would have been the 105th birthday of the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier.
Major League Baseball pledged support. And the total raised through one online fundraiser surpassed $145,000, far exceeding the $75,000 estimated value of the bronze statue that was cut from its base last week in a park in Wichita, Kansas. The police are looking for those responsible.
Only the statue’s feet remained in McAdams Park, where about 600 children play in a youth baseball league called League 42, named after Robinson’s jersey number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke the major leagues’ color barrier in 1947.
Firefighters found burned remains of the statue Tuesday while responding to a dumpster fire in another park about 7 miles (11.27 kilometers) away.
A truck believed to have been used in the theft was previously found abandoned and police said the theft was captured on surveillance video.
Donations to replace a destroyed statue of Jackie Robinson have surpassed $145,000
Bob Lutz, executive director of the nonprofit Little League organization that commissioned the sculpture, said in a statement Wednesday message on
“Great, huh?” he said.
Lutz had previously said the money raised could also improve some of its programming and facilities.
In April, the group opened the Leslie Rudd Learning Center, which includes an indoor baseball facility and a learning laboratory.
“We’re not just baseball,” Lutz said. “We have after-school education, enrichment and tutoring.”
One of the largest donations is a $10,000 pledge from an anonymous former Major League Baseball player who won a World Series.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan, who announced the donation over the weekend, urged anyone involved in the theft to surrender and promised that arrests were imminent.
“The community, along with the business community and the nation as a whole, have shown an incredible outpouring of support,” Sullivan said in a statement Wednesday.
Police are continuing their investigation into vandals who cut down the statue’s ankles last week
The statue was thrown into a garbage bin and set on fire, destroying the remains
“This effort highlights the kindness of the people and their determination to rebuild what has been taken from our community.”
Lutz, whose friend, artist John Parsons, created the statue before his death, said the mold is still viable and expected a replacement to be installed within months.
“We appreciate what it represents,” he said. ‘It is important that our 600 children understand what it means.
“And we do everything we can to educate our children about the role that Jackie Robinson played in life and civil rights, his life outside of sports. He is absolutely the best role model you can imagine.”
League 42 drew attention to Robinson’s birthday on Facebook on Wednesday afternoting that “his legacy will endure forever” and asking for donations.
One of the largest donations was a $10,000 contribution from an ex-World Series winner
Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of black American ballplayers.
He is not only considered a sports legend, but also a sports legend a civil rights icon. Robinson died in 1972.
Lutz said the competition “appeals to all kids, but especially kids of color” and that the connection to Robinson resonated.
“We can’t imagine being called League 42 without a statue of Jackie Robinson in our park,” he said. “It was a no-brainer when we tried to name our league.
‘And the name League 42 came up. It was like a bolt of lightning and struck. We knew we had our name.”
