“Take me out to the ball game! Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.” This song is heard at many 7th inning stretch’s at baseball parks everywhere. However, the concession stands needed to provide those staples for America’s pastime does not open themselves. It takes the efforts of volunteers to make it happen. For the past 10 years, Lynne and Doug Nelson have been volunteering their time setting up and running the concessions at Riverside Field for the Mount Marty University and Yankton High School Club spring baseball seasons.
Lynne and Doug clean the concession stand prior to the first game of the year. They order, buy, and stock the concession stand on a weekly during the spring months of February, March, April and beginning of May. The weather can be brutal and the schedule to get in games is constantly changing. Lynne and Doug have been a part of the Yankton Baseball Association program for 20+ years. Doug has been past president and an integral part of the renovations at Riverside Field over those years.
Because of Lynne and Doug’s priceless time and dedication, United Way & Volunteer Services of Greater Yankton was honored to present them with the June 2023 Volunteer of the Month Award.
Andy Bernatow, Athletic Director at Mount Marty University said this about the Nelsons, “Yankton is an amazing community that is full of many great people that are willing to serve and help one another. Doug and Lynne Nelson are a great example of servant leadership. The Nelson’s have done a great job in providing a needed service. Their generosity doesn’t end with just their time. They have donated the product to the concession stand and the proceeds back to Yankton Baseball Association. This money helps with the field fund for Riverside which impacts the Yankton Baseball Association, Mount Marty Baseball, and Amateur baseball in Yankton. The success stories that we have in this community can’t be done without having great people like Doug and Lynne!”
We asked Lynne and Doug to share more about their volunteerism, in their own words:
We were both raised in Yankton. We both began volunteering in college. Doug has been on the Crofton Golf Course Board. He was president of the Roger Haas Tournament for 20 years. He was active in the Yankton Booster Club. He was on the Yankton Baseball board for many years and served 8 years as President. He was instrumental in starting the renovation at Riverside Field. Lynne has been behind the scenes helping where needed. She has organized help and food drives for the Sack Pack program. She has raised funds at Christmas for presents for families and provided wish list items for the Boys and Girls Club. For the past 10 years, they have stocked and ran the concession stand for Mount Marty University Baseball games, and stocked supplies for the Yankton High School baseball teams.
We enjoy volunteering because we are working with positive people who want to see Yankton grow. We like to work with people and organizations that provide opportunities for Yankton’s youth.
The best volunteering experience is now, we are volunteering with our children and grandchildren and showing them the importance of giving back to your community, helping others, and watching Yankton grow. We love working with positive people, watching our community grow and providing opportunities for our youth.
Thank you, Lynne and Doug, for all you do.
To learn more about local volunteer opportunities or to nominate someone for United Way’s Volunteer of the Month Award, please visit www.yanktonunitedway.org/volunteer, email info@yanktonunitedway.org, or call United Way of Greater Yankton at (605) 665-6766.
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