CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The new and improved Valor Field at the Iowa Veterans Home will be ready for action this weekend as three youth teams are set to take part in a round robin tournament beginning at 10:30 a.m., with a recommissioning ceremony scheduled to start at 10 a.m. IVH and Quaker Oats partnered in the effort to revitalize the historic field.

What started as a dream has become a reality in a short period of time as baseball will officially be back at the Iowa Veterans Home this weekend.

In partnership with Quaker Oats, IVH is hosting a three-team round robin tournament featuring the Linn-Mar Lions Red, the Linn-Mar Lions Black and the Ottumwa Storm Chasers youth teams on Saturday, with the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. and game times at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Marine Corps veteran Bob Hougher will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 10:30 contest.

There is no price for admission, but concessions will be available for purchase along with IVH Valor t-shirts for $20. Proceeds from shirt sales will go back towards future maintenance and renovations.

The upgrades included a complete remake of the infield with new bases and a new pitching mound, modernization of both dugouts, new foul poles and fence toppers, a new scoreboard, a new flagpole and flag, new roofs and siding for the concession and equipment storage buildings, and a new pavilion with more accessible seating was put in behind home plate so our IVH residents will be able to easily get to the field to watch games. Games had been discontinued due to both the pandemic in 2020 and the subsequent derecho.

The plan is to host more games at the field in the future to entertain residents and showcase all of the improvements to the community. Kimberly Bratland, the Clinical Support Director at IVH, offered a special shout out to Brooks Dechant at Quaker Oats. Dechant, a veteran himself, helped to lead the restoration initiative and worked closely with former Commandant Matthew Peterson to make it happen.

Interim Commandant Penny Cutler-Bermudez, who will offer the welcoming remarks at 10 a.m., said she is excited to bring baseball back to Valor Field, previously known as Soldier’s Field.

“”As an old IVH employee, I get a little nostalgic thinking about the Soldier’s Field. Residents, community members, and staff are reminiscing about children and grandchildren who have run these bases at IVH,” Cutler-Bermudez said. “Staff recall challenges between staff and leaders, with residents cheering us all on, and the residents are remembering when Resident Council ran the concession stand in years past. It is our history, and now our future. It is with gratitude that we, the IVH staff and residents say thank you to Quaker Oats and community partners for bringing back our field. I can’t think of a better name than Valor Field.”

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.