Donations poured in Wednesday to replace a vandalized statue of Jackie Robinson on what would have been the 105th birthday of the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier.
Major League Baseball also pledged support. And the total raised from one online fundraiser alone was more than $145,000, far exceeding the estimated $75,000 value of the statue, which was cut from its pedestal in a Wichita, Kansas, park last week. Police are searching for those responsible.
Only the statue’s feet remained in McAdams Park. There, about 600 children play in a youth baseball league called League 42. League 42 was named after the jersey number worn by Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who broke the major league color barrier in 1947.
Firefighters discovered the burned remains of the statue Tuesday while responding to a dumpster fire at another park about 7 miles (11.27 kilometers) away. A truck believed to have been used in a previous theft was found abandoned, and police said the theft was caught on surveillance video.
Bob Lutz, executive director of the Little League nonprofit that commissioned the sculpture, said in a message to He said he promised to provide it.
“Isn’t it amazing?” he said.
Lutz previously said the money raised could potentially strengthen some programs and facilities. In April, the group opened the Leslie Ladd Learning Center, which includes an indoor baseball facility and learning lab.
“We’re more than just baseball,” Lutz said. “We offer after-school education, enrichment education, and tutoring.”
One of the largest donations was a $10,000 donation from an anonymous former Major League Baseball player who won the World Series. Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan, who announced the donation over the weekend, called on those involved in the theft to surrender and vowed that arrests were imminent.
“The community, along with the business community and the nation as a whole, has shown an incredible outpouring of support,” Sullivan said in a statement Wednesday. “This effort highlights the kindness of people and their determination to rebuild what was taken from our communities.”
Lutz, whose friend artist John Parsons is said to have created the statue during his lifetime, said the mold is still in place and he expects a replacement will be erected within the next few months.
“We care about what it stands for,” he said. “It’s important that 600 kids understand what it represents. And we want to help kids learn about Jackie Robinson’s life and the role he played in civil rights, his life beyond sports. He is the best role model you can imagine.”
League 42 drew attention to Robinson’s birthday in a Facebook post Wednesday, noting that “his legacy will last forever” and asking for donations.
Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of black American baseball players. He is not only a legend in the sports world, but is also considered an icon of the civil rights movement. Robinson he died in 1972.
Lutz said the league appeals to “all kids, but especially kids of color,” and the connection to Robinson resonated.
“I can’t imagine being named to League 42 without a statue of Jackie Robinson in our park,” he said. “When we tried to name the league, it was a no-brainer. And then the name League 42 came up. It was like lightning. We knew we had a name. I did.”
