KANSAS CITY, Mo – Baseball stadiums play host to stars. Parking lots typically don’t.
Hammers take the place of bats and balls in the Kauffman Stadium parking lots this weekend, as Habitat for Humanity workers pound away in the summertime heat. Kansas City pride pours into these planks, as Habitat prepares a total of nine new homes. Five of them will go to families affected by last year’s fierce tornado in Joplin.
“This allows us to bring the house right here to the stadium, to center stage,” said Karen Haycox with Habitat for Humanity.
“We’re capitalizing on the All-Star Game,” said Mark Bower. “We’re trying to get the general public excited about the work that we do.”
Mark Bower is a Kansas City native, and serving his summer internship with Habitat while attending college at Auburn University.
“I’ve grown up here,” Bower said. “I’ve been a Royals fan all my life. Once I heard we had an opportunity to build in the parking lot, i jumped all over it, and made sure I could be here everyday.”
Paul DiMeo adds impact to the effort. He’s famous from his role with the television show “Extreme Home Makeovers,” but he says he’s a baseball fan too. His foremost goal is to help people who are in need.
“We’ll have players here helping out,” DiMeo said. “There’s a game today, and a game tomorrow. They’ll come over and help out. No one’s here on a free ride. Everyone’s working.”
Habitat expects over 200 volunteers to come help get these houses ready by Monday.
