- A new field honoring fallen officer Chris Abbott was opened in Glenwood, marking the first game played on the diamond.
- The field, part of the Glenwood recreational sports complex, will be named after Abbott’s badge number, 165, and aims to enhance community sports for children.
- While the field cost about $140,000 to build, organizers are still seeking $25,000 to cover remaining expenses and expect the project to be completed by June.
A baseball field built in honor of a fallen officer is now open in Glenwood. Chris Abbott's life and commitment to neighborhood sports will be remembered.
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This field is the newest addition to the Glenwood recreational sports complex, and Wednesday’s game was the first-ever played on it.
“What do you think he would think of this moment?” asked KMTV reporter Hannah McIlree.
“Well, he wouldn’t want any of the attention. He would say it was a team effort, the whole group, the whole community, to make things better for our kids. That really was what he was all about,” Amie Abbott said.
The two teams, Bellevue and Glenwood, represent where Abbott served as a police officer and where he called home.
Unlike other games, Wednesday night wasn’t about winning or losing. Abbott’s wife, Amie, told me her husband would be proud to see the two communities coming together.
“It was his dream to flip this field around so that it was more usable for our kids in the community, and to see it come to fruition is... he would be so excited,” Amie said.
Though first pitches have been thrown, there’s still work to be done. The dugouts aren’t complete, and the field is missing a number. Organizer and friend of Abbott’s, Shawn Koehler, told me this field will be named after Abbott’s badge number, 165.
“He helped recruit the money and did the labor to make things happen, and when you look at the amount of dedication that he had for our community, it was just best in class. Raise the money and do the work to get it done, that’s a pretty rare person," said Koehler.
Koehler told me Chris Abbott was one of the first friends he made after moving to Glenwood. He said the banners in the outfield will be a special surprise.
"The fact that we're here today in May, kicking off a baseball game when last August this was still, it was not what it is today, I'll put it that way. It's a grass lot with some dirt in the back corner. The fact that we're here right now getting ready to play baseball games is very exciting," Koehler said.
The field cost about $142,000 to construct, and they are still $25,000 in debt. Koehler says community donations have helped make it a reality, and they are still looking for new sponsors. Final touches to the field are expected to be completed in June.
