Ypsilanti Little League receives community support after vandalism, risk of closure

A few months ago, a Little League field in Ypsilanti, Michigan, was vandalized. To make matters worse, the struggling nonprofit was in danger of closing due to financial constraints.

Now, thanks to the community and a popular social media influencer, the league is thriving.

During the off-season, a board member drove by Harris Roads Field, home of the Ypsilanti National Little League, and made an alarming discovery.

"One of the daily checks revealed that all of our buildings had been vandalized with graffiti," said Katie Delano, president of the Ypsilanti National Little League.

The dugouts of all four fields got the same treatment, and a police report was filed.

"No arrests have been made, nothing's been done," Delano said.

Sponsors stepped up with paint and supplies, but the already struggling organization still needed help.

"I was having to pay for a couple of times, pay for our umpires out of my own pocket, just because the reserves that we had been depleted. Our registration costs for the players covers basically just the uniforms and the Little League fees, so anything that we must pay for beyond that, we either have to raise money for, or we have to pay from our concession stand sales," Delano said.

Twelve days ago, Delano reached out on a whim to Dillon White, whose popular social media account, @thedadchats, has more than 9 million followers.

"I decided at 4 o'clock in the morning to type my story and just tell him my history, how I got involved with the league, what happened to the league, and within a few hours, he responded to me and just said, 'Hey, we want to help. What do you need?'" Delano said.

One post from White secured the funding needed to keep the Little League running for years to come.

"We figured out that if the league continues to fundraise and operate as it is now with the donations, we have enough to fund the Little League for about eight to nine years going forward," Delano said.

And parents and kids are thrilled.

"They're excited because they like, they look forward to coming to play, you know, fall, spring, and you know, meeting other friends, and we've become a family," said Robyn Fetterman, a parent and league board member.

Donations continue to come in from all over the world. As of Wednesday, June 17, $75,000 has been collected.

"I just feel like they're so grateful and thankful that, you know, they can continue to play in a safe environment, and you know, we were at risk of having to close our doors, and now we're able to be around for at least eight to nine more years," Delano said.