Marist High Schooler Gets Disney Grant For Future Baseball Field

ORLAND PARK, IL -- Orland Park’s Zachary Stack’s quest to build a baseball field for individuals with physical needs came closer to reality recently when he was awarded a 2017 Disney Be Inspired Grant.

Stack’s nonprofit, OPBaseball4All, was awarded a $500 Summer of Service Grant from Youth Service America (YSA) and Disney/ABC Television Group.

A sophomore at Marist High School, Stack is working to gain awareness and support for his mission to build a baseball field for individuals with physical and mental impairments at the John Humphrey Complex in Orland Park.

“I was so very excited to be the recipient of the Disney Be Inspired Grant,” Stack said. “I am hopeful that I can get the community involved in this great project.”

His mission began when he learned of a similar baseball field for individuals with special needs in a nearby town. The avid baseball player asked his mother, Tammy Stack, to reach out to Village Trustee Pat Gira to see if Orland Park offered a similar field. When they learned that there was no field to accommodate physically and mentally impaired individuals, OPBaseball4All was born.

Earlier this summer, Stack shared his mission at a Village of Orland Park Board Meeting, and in August he was named WGN Radio’s ‘Kid of the Week’ for his baseball efforts.

“I applied for the grant on July 28, which was only three weeks after I presented my idea to the Village Board,” he said. “I felt I needed to get this great project underway ASAP.”

According to YSA, Stack is one of 270 young leaders across the country awarded a $500 Disney Summer of Service grant to organize projects to help make their communities healthier, greener and stronger.

“I could not be any prouder of my son. His dedication to this project is unbelievable,” Tammy Stack said. “Zach has shown unrelenting dedication to making his dream a reality despite his honors and AP schedule.”

The community is invited to participate in an upcoming fundraising effort on February 1, 2018. ‘Uncork & and Support’, a ladies night out fundraiser will take place at the Orland Park Civic Center.

“Save the date for our Feb. 1 fundraiser and kick off the new year by training for upcoming 5k walk and run,” Tammy Stack added.

Learn more or donate online by logging onto www.opbaseball4all.org. Content and image courtesy of the village of Orland Park.