Morgan Wallen helps renovate Knoxville park so kids can share his passion for baseball
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated how much money Morgan Wallen’s foundation has donated. The correct figure is more than $500,000 in East Tennessee, alone.
Knoxville is ready to be dazzled by country superstar Morgan Wallen's shows this weekend. Before his homecoming concerts at Neyland Stadium, Wallen is doing something extra special for a local sports program near to his heart.
The Morgan Wallen Foundation donated $140,000 to the Gibbs Youth Sports program to renovate Ruritan Park on Tazewell Pike. The money will be used to build an indoor practice facility, making year-round baseball possible in the community, Gibbs Youth Sports President Nate Stachey said.
Money will be used to redesign the field house with indoor batting cages, pitching lanes and fielding area plus park renovations including a new scoreboard, dugouts, seating and a concession stand makeover, according to the foundation.
Wallen strengthened both his baseball and music skills at Gibbs High School.
Being able to give back to East Tennessee and performing at Neyland Stadium are both meaningful, said his mom, Lesli.
"It’s just special," she said. "Surreal, maybe, that all these people want to see my son. To me, he’s just my son."
Morgan, wearing a blue Gibbs hoodie, sent a recorded video shown at the Neyland Stadium press briefing as concert preparations happened in the background.
"There’s nothing more important to me than this," Morgan said.
The donation will be used to redesign the park's field house with indoor batting cages, pitching lanes and fielding area and to renovate the park with a new scoreboard, dugouts, seating and a concession stand makeover, according to the foundation.
Wallen's history of giving back to East Tennessee
Last year, Morgan Wallen's foundation surprised a teacher at Adrian Burnett Elementary School with $20,000.
Wallen, who is originally from Sneedville, has strong ties to the community.
In the past two years, the foundation has donated more than $500,000 in East Tennessee, alone. In Knoxville, the foundation made gifts to the Gibbs High School choral program, the Powell High School band and the Emerald Youth Music program. The foundation has also made contributions to the Second Harvest East Tennessee food bank.
Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @AreenaArora and on Instagram @areena_news.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Morgan Wallen pays for Knoxville park and baseball field renovation
