On May 20, the Field of Dreams officials announced that the press box at the site’s new ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa, will be named in honor of Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball radio voice Gary Dolphin.
According to the Des Moines Register, the press box will be named in recognition of Dolphin’s decades of contributions to Iowa athletics, broadcasting, and communities across the state. Dolphin hails from nearby Cascade, Iowa, which is just a mere 15 miles outside of the Field of Dreams site.
The naming opportunity is being led by Iowa businessman and philanthropist Ron Kirchhoff, who is also a member of the “Bring It Home” Campaign National Advisory Board.
“Gary Dolphin has been one of the great voices and ambassadors for the state of Iowa for decades,” Kirchhoff said in a news release. “He’s brought people together through sports, community, and storytelling, and this is a meaningful way to recognize everything he has given back to Iowa. The Field of Dreams represents the very best of our state, and honoring Gary there just feels right.”
The new Field of Dreams ballpark is a centerpiece of the “Bring It Home” campaign led by Dyersville Events, Inc., the nonprofit organization responsible for the recent renovation and expansion of the 297-acre Field of Dreams site. The campaign also includes the construction of a professional ballpark, youth baseball and softball complex, education and community programming, and expanded visitor amenities.
So far, about half of the $500,000 fundraising goal for the Gary Dolphin Press Box effort has been secured from supporters, according to Kirchhoff. Additional pledges will be accepted through Aug. 13, with Kirchhoff committed to matching contributions made through this effort with a charitable gift to Iowa Athletics in Dolphin’s honor.
The new professional ballpark will be completed over the summer, in time to host a Major League Baseball game on Aug. 13 between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Field of Dreams press box named after Iowa Hawkeyes’ Gary Dolphin
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
