On January 17, GSF-Whitewater Foundation committee members presented a check for $50,000 to support the Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams, a baseball field to be built in 2013 in memory of Treyton Kilar, a young baseball fan who was killed by a drunk driver at age six. Trey’s parents, Mike and Mary Kilar, and Matt Amundson, City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Director, accepted the donation for the Whitewater Community Foundation, which is sponsoring the project.“September 2, 2010 was a day marked with devastation for our family as we lost our son, Trey,” explained Mary amidst dozens of supporters including more than 30 GSF associates at the Whitewater distribution center. “It was also a time when this community, individuals and organizations like Golden State Foods restored our faith in the true goodness of people. Without this community, we would have been lost, devastated and alone.
Because of this donation and the generosity of so many, this field will be built.” According to Wayne Luter, General Manager of the GSF-Whitewater distribution center, “Mike, Mary and I talked very candidly about their vision for the future and their big fear was allowing Trey’s memory to diminish in our hearts. We made the promise that we would not allow that to happen as long as our Foundation was here and we were part of the Whitewater community.” Wayne, along with Whitewater residents and Foundation committee members, Jeaneen Brokmeier and Connie Hornickel, and Foundation Executive Director, Chuck Browne, represented the Whitewater Foundation by presenting the $50,000 donation. $30,000 was given at the presentation and the remaining $20,000 will be given over four years to ensure Treyton remains in the hearts of those throughout the community. This gift increases the funds raised with the Whitewater Community Foundation to $400,000.
$75,000 is still needed to make the field a reality. “This gift moves the project one step closer to a ground breaking later this spring,” assured Matt. Treyton’s Field of Dreams is a 220-225 foot, youth-sized field with artificial turf, concrete dugouts, fencing, concession stands, and lights. The projected cost of the project is $475,000. The field will provide a safe place for children and families to celebrate life and learn how to make responsible, life-long decisions. More information about the project can be found at http://www.treysfield.org.
Treyton’s Field of Dreams supporters pose with the check from the Whitewater Foundation committee.