History of Heindl Field
As a successful local businessman, Denny Heindl considers it his obligation to give back to the community.
So when he heard that a new state-of-the-art facility — the Challenger Field — was being built in the DuBois City Park to provide specialized athletic opportunities for those with special physical and mental needs, Heindl decided he wanted to be a part of this great cause.
Heindl, a Ridgway resident, said he is donating a total of $250,000. He donated $100,000 last year, $50,000 this year, and will give $50,000 in 2019 and $50,000 in 2020. He’s also giving $10,000 a year for forever to be used to maintain the field.
In honor of the donation, the field will be named the Rose and Dennis Heindl Memorial Field and signs with their names on it will be displayed in various locations.
“My wife, Rose, passed away a year ago in December,” Heindl said. “It will be a nice tribute to her to put her name on it. We have given quite a few dollars away over the years and always try to help the kids. This would be special for her and I know she’d be very happy about it.”
“I think it’s a fantastic idea,” city Manager John “Herm” Suplizio said of Heindl’s donation. “Hopefully it will spur more things for people to get involved in the community. With a donation of this size, it makes us able to do some things to the field and to the complex that we would not otherwise be able to do.”
“There will be a waterfalls in right field,” Suplizio said. “In dead center field, there will be a platform where you can sit and watch the game. There will a state-of-the-art scoreboard and video board. We will be able to show movies if we’d like to do that. There will be seating on the wall out in left field. There will be numerous bleachers seatings both on the first base and third base sides. There will be grandstands behind home plate that multiple people can sit at. There will be a press box and numerous landings for viewing. There will be an elevator so those with disabilities will be able to get all around the field.”
Construction began in mid-July and the field is expected to be completed in May. The field is located where the girls softball field had been. In addition to The Challenger League using the field, other Little League teams will use it as well, along with Penn State DuBois, DuBois Area High School and DuBois Central Catholic. It will be a multi-purpose field but the turf is designed for children who are in wheelchairs or need assistance on the entire field.
“I think it’s going to set the standard for the whole state and beyond to be honest,” Heindl said. “It’s a fantastic thing for DuBois. It’s going to be gorgeous for the kids. It’s pretty neat.”
Though the field is being used now, a grand opening and dedication is being planned for sometime later this spring, Suplizio said. Heindl, who is also part-owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, will be on hand, along with the Pirate Parrot. Pittsburgh Pirates Charities has also donated $100,000 toward the field.
Heindl started Atlas Pressed Metals in DuBois. He also was the owner of Laurel Manufacturing, which he owned for 30 years, and then sold to GKN Sintered Metals.
“I love the people of DuBois. I always said whenever you come down Route 219 and under that underpass, it’s like going into a different world,” Heindl said. “The people are very nice. The interstate has helped DuBois a lot. The attitude is fantastic. Herm, the city manger, the city council, they are very aggressive thinkers and (Solicitor) Toni Cherry does a fantastic job. I think this is great thing for DuBois. When you are successful, you have to give back to the area.”
-excerpt from the Courier Express article published on April 8, 2018
