Not many people can say they have a baseball field named after them. Lesli and Tommy Wallen, the parents of Morgan Wallen, recently joined that select group.
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Two fields at Gibbs Ruritan Park in Corryton, Tennessee, recently received improvements thanks to the Morgan Wallen Foundation. They will now be known as Lesli Wilder Field and Tommy Wayne Field. The name change was first reported by Knox News.
"It's not just our names on the signs that make us feel honored," said Lesli in a statement. "It's what it represents - years of community, hard work, shared memories and the incredible young people who have grown through Gibbs Youth Sports and will continue to do so."
The Morgan Wallen Foundation Also Gave the Sports Complex an Upgrade
Wallen's foundation also donated $140,000 to improve the youth sports complex. To celebrate, it invited around 300 children to a baseball camp led by Tony Vitello, the head coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers baseball team, as well as its players.
This follows a $1.2 million donation from the foundation to Gibbs High School to upgrade its sports facilities. It is the same school where Wallen played baseball until an injury redirected him to music.
Knox County Schools voted to rename the school's baseball field after the singer.
Wallen donates $3 from every ticket sold to his foundation. It focuses on improving access to sports and music, two of Wallen's biggest passions.
Wallen's Foundation Has Helped in Nashville, Too
As we reported in August, Wallen's foundation contributed $500,000 to support the restoration of two historic youth baseball diamonds in North Nashville.
The fields were renamed "Boots Field," after Wallen's great-grandmother, Mamaw Boots, and Norris Field, named for Norris Lake, where Wallen grew up in East Tennessee.
"Growing up, I spent countless hours out on the diamond," said Wallen in a statement. "Those hours taught me life lessons I still hold close today and helped me realize the value baseball can have on youth. Being a part of this project and revitalizing these Parkwood fields — right here in Nashville — to ensure the kids have a place to play for many years to come is something I am really proud of."
Image by Matt Paskert
