Donations pour in to replace destroyed Jackie Robinson statue on his 105th birthday

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH
Associated Press

Donations poured in Wednesday to replace a decimated statue of Jackie Robinson on what would have been the 105th birthday of the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier. The total raised just through one online fundraiser surpassed $145,000, well in excess of the estimated $75,000 value of the bronze statue that was cut from its base at a park in Wichita, Kansas. Bob Lutz, the executive director of the Little League nonprofit that commissioned the sculpture, said the money raised can enhance some of its programming and facilities. In April, the nonprofit opened the Leslie Rudd Learning Center, which includes an indoor baseball facility and a learning lab.