The Friends of McBean Park first convened in 2015 and became a 501(c)3 in 2017, following a major stadium renovation that occurred in 2016. Original board members were mostly lifelong residents of Lincoln, including Kris Wyatt, Larry Wyatt, Mindy Miller, Elizabeth Jansen, Susan Cope, and Linda Stackpoole.
These residents recognized the importance of McBean Park as a community gem. The organization’s original mission was to rebuild, rejuvenate, and restore McBean Park.
While initial efforts focused on the stadium, new members expanded the organization’s scope to include other areas of the Park. Friends took on community service efforts, such as park cleanups, painting bleachers and washing down facilities.
Friends also funded the construction of the dog park, the playground, and renovation of the horseshoe pits. Friends created the Larry Wyatt Memorial Scholarship was issued in 2021 and 2022.
In 2016, the City of Lincoln formed an agreement with the Lincoln Potters Baseball Club and Jessup University to undertake major renovations and improvements to McBean Stadium, located at the southwest corner of the park.
Between 2016 and 2022, activity levels at the stadium steadily grew, and these three entities continued to re-invest in stadium facilities with the support of local businesses and organizations, including Friends of McBean Park.
In response to the increasing energy around baseball activities, in 2023 Friend of McBean Park was re-organized to once again focus exclusively on the stadium. The organization was re-named Friends of McBean Park Stadium, and the mission was adjusted accordingly. Two existing board members stayed on and three new board members were added at that time.
Kris Wyatt, founding board member of the Friends of McBean, talks about the hopes and dreams for the organization back in 2018.
Sign up for updates on our progress, opportunities to get involved, and the latest events.
To learn more about Friends of McBean Stadium, how you can get involved, or ask further questions, please fill out the form below and click “Submit”. We’ll do our best to get back to you in 5 business days.
Home of the:
© 2024 Friends of McBean Park Stadium. Privacy Policy
