Tens of Thousands Raised for McLean Little League’s Flood Damage Repair

A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $93,000 to help the McLean Little League repair damage from flash flooding last month.

One day after the campaign started, people donated more than $18,000 — about a quarter of the $75,000 goal.

While the GoFundMe says 217 people raised $93,823 in 27 days, Shelly Breslin, who started the campaign, told Tysons Reporter that about $112,000 in total was raised.

Breslin said that she has managed fundraisers before for the little league and decided to create the GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of the damage from the flooding — especially since the little league does not have flood insurance.

Currently, the McLean Little League complex (1836 Westmoreland Street) is closed as it undergoes work rebuilding dugouts, repairing fencing and cleaning up the fields before the fall season starts at the end of August.

Three years ago, the little league started a campaign for recent field improvements, she said.

“The ironic thing is, right before the water came, the McLean Little League closed out and used the money from the campaign,” Breslin said, adding that the funds paid for new batting cages, scoreboards and fencing, which were then damaged in the July flooding. “Many items had just been done in the spring season… We worked so hard over the last three years to get that money.”

Breslin said there was a huge local community response to the GoFundMe campaign from McLean residents to parents and coaches at the little league in Vienna.

“I think it went great,” she said, adding that people from around the country donated as well.

Breslin also said that she was surprised by some of the “big amounts” people donated, which included a $25,000 donation, two $5,000 donations and 20 donations between $1,000-$2,500.

The GoFundMe is now closed because “we raised what we wanted to get,” Breslin said.

“We are overwhelmed by our McLean community and little league community,” she said.