After years of waiting, Lunenburg Girls Softball recently began construction on the new concession stand at Bolter Field on Maple Street in Kenbridge.

Supporters hope to have it completed March 1, in time for the beginning of softball season.

“I hope that everyone is as excited as I am about this awesome undertaking,” Tony Matthews, a member of the organization, told supporters in an email. “I want everyone to know that we have a great start for our new venture, and would like to make this the best addition we can.  As we move through this project, we will need to continue to fund raise to give ourselves the opportunity to have a nice facility that enhances our park in every way.”

Actually, the structure will be more than just a concession stand. It will be a 24 X 24, two-story building with bathrooms, press boxes and meeting room, along with a concession stand, Matthews said.

The total cost is not yet determined because supporters have not gotten bids on kitchen equipment. But the building itself will be about $60,000, “of which we only have half and need to fund raise some more,” Matthews said.

“It will enable us to host more events that will bring people into our community that will help the small businesses here in our county as well,” he said.

It has taken four years of fundraising and a considerable donation from the CFS company last season that was facilitated, through, the Lunenburg Board of Supervisors, an effort spearheaded by Frank Bacon and Wayne Hoover, he said.

Matthews said the league is also blessed to have Ed Brown of EF Brown Construction as a friend “who has been there with us financially and through construction labor every step of the way.”

“We have annual fundraisers, but also have other smaller fundraisers throughout the year,” Matthews said. “We will also be hosting part of the District 1 championship tournaments this June, so we want to be ready for that.”

They are replacing an existing structure torn down in the beginning of last season to prepare the site of the new stand. The old stand had been there since the league’s inception and was as outdated as it was small, Matthews said.

“We operated out of a tent for the spring and fall season this past year,” he said.

The league was started as the dream of a few folks in the county who wanted the girls to have a place to showcase their athletic ability along with the boys, Matthews said.

“It has grown into a league that is as competitive in our district as any other team,” he said. “We continue to act as a place for girls to come and have fun as well as learn the game of softball.  We will forever be a place for the local junior high and high schools to pull talent so they keep the tradition of winning sports teams in our schools.”