WATERLOO -- Bob Hellman hopes to make the green oasis of an urban baseball park a common sight in the Midwest, and perhaps across the nation.

Hellman and his namesake marketing firm helped drive the community effort to build a state-of-the-art baseball park next to Walter E. Cunningham School for Excellence, an elementary school on Waterloo's east side.

Following the park's debut last month, Waterloo Leisure Services, which uses Hellman Field, and a community in Wisconsin have already expressed interest in the program.

"It's inspiring to see how the community wrapped its arms around (Hellman Field). The church got involved, the neighborhood got involved, the kids got fired up," said Alyssa Becthold, Hellman's public relations director. "You have to believe other parts of the region or the country will do the same thing."

Sensing an opportunity for bigger things, Hellman hired Jon Olson away from the Cedar Valley United Way to serve as development director for Build Our Ballpark, a new organization dedicated to building community ball fields.

Olson said he has already had encouraging conversations with "pretty high ranking" officials with Major League Baseball and the minor leagues. He declined to name what teams he talked with, citing the preliminary nature of the discussions.

But he said it was relatively easy to sell them on the idea, because it helps promote the game among young people at a time when children, particularly minority youth, choose to play football or basketball.

"They like the idea. And if you look at where minor league baseball is, they're all over the map," he said. "So you go from this idea of Hellman Field looks great at Cunningham school, to broadening that."

Mark Gallagher, sports manager of Waterloo Leisure Services, said he already has shown Hellman Associates possible sites for additional diamonds. He's crossing his fingers, he said, that the project can be replicated in Waterloo.

"It's an extra special place to play for the kids. We're short ball diamonds as it is, so to have one basically given to us is just great," he said.

The sticking point, as in any community project, is funding. The Hellman family donated $75,000 toward the nearly $250,000 pilot project. With Hellman Field completed, the hope is showing off a finished project will inspire more people to open their wallets for a good cause.

"We want to replicate what was accomplished at Cunningham," Hellman said. "Start out with a vacant lot, likely a school property; or maybe a run-down ballpark. A lot of opportunities will come this way."

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad

at (319) 291-1580

or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.