Mayor Mitch Roth, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and West Side Hawai‘i Little League (WSHLL) celebrated their partnership and recent improvements to the ballfield at William Charles Lunalilo Park in Kona on Tuesday, July 16.
Joined by local little league players, Roth threw out a ceremonial pitch at the ballfield, also known as Pualani Park or Blue Park, to 11-year-old little leaguer Matthew Gandomi.
“We recognize the significant need for adequate facilities to support our keiki’s athletic pursuits in West Hawai‘i,” Mayor Mitch Roth said. “This partnership exemplifies how we can transform what we have into something we can all be proud of. Sports provide a space for our keiki to learn teamwork, understand how to win, and, most importantly, learn from their losses to show up better for the next game.”
Parks &Recreation and WSHLL formed a Friends of the Park agreement in 2023 and since then have worked together on park enhancements. A project completed through the partnership was the addition of a home run fence; the Parks &Recreation fencing crew and maintenance staff installed the fence after WSHLL raised funds from local businesses and individuals for the purchase of the fencing materials.
A new scoreboard is expected to soon be added to the park through a similar arrangement, and WSHLL has also made significant improvements to the infield. The enhancements have resulted in a beautiful park that hosted the District 4 Little League tournament in June.
Britany Belisario, President of WSHLL, thanked the Department of Parks and Recreation as well as past President of WSHLL, Nic Mount, for their support and said, “West Side Hawai‘i Little League is not just about baseball, it’s about community and love for a sport that has brought so many of us together in more ways than one could imagine. It is my hope that one day when these players are adults, they will return to have their little ones play in the same Little League they grew up playing in.”
Maurice Messina, Director of Parks and Recreation, added, “The partnership between West Side Hawai‘i Little League and the County of Hawai‘i is yet another success story demonstrating how friends of the parks can join with our maintenance and recreation teams to create beautiful spaces for keiki and kupuna to use on a daily basis. We can’t say enough about the West Side Hawai‘i Little League ‘ohana, and we look forward to continued success through this collaboration.”