Catalina Island residents hope Tony the Tiger can make a trampled public field "grrreat" again.
Joe Machado Memorial Ballpark in Avalon has qualified as one of 100 finalists nationwide for a Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Plant-A-Seed grant. The cereal maker's program aims to improve wanting parks as local governments reduce spending.
Thirty winning fields will each receive $15,000.
One criteria to qualify for a field makeover is getting online votes before May 31.
Problem is Avalon only has 3,300 residents, and its ballpark pitch is up against projects in West Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento and other population centers.
So "the island of romance" is appealing to these shores for online votes.
"We need to get it over to the mainland," said Audra McDonald, an administrative analyst at Avalon City Hall who is in charge of writing grant proposals. "There are so many people in Long Beach and the surrounding areas that love Catalina or they own property here or come over here."
There are plans in place to make roughly $1.1 million in needed improvements to the park that would expand its suitable uses beyond baseball and softball.
About $515,000 from city, county, state and other sources has been set aside for the project. Another $220,000 is expected but remains in limbo during the state budget crisis.
The field is part of a 2.2-acre parcel, said Amanda Cook, Avalon's planning director.
The Kellog's grant would kick start the first of the three-phase project with money for restrooms, a concession stand, hardscapping, lighting and disabled access, McDonald said.
Future phases call for a multipurpose field for baseball, football and lacrosse, as well as bleachers and replacing grass with artificial turf to conserve water on rainwater-dependent Catalina.
Machado is the only city-owned field in Avalon, and it gets heavy use. The city leases a privately owned field, and the high school, which is in Long Beach Unified, has athletic facilities.
But Machado is the only park on the island that qualifies for the bulk of state and county grants, and the lease for the privately owned field may not always be renewed in the future, McDonald said.
"The problem is we can't go to the next city over and use their fields," she said.
Avalon officials have long wanted to remake and expand the ball park, but it took years to find funding.
The idea for applying for the grant came to Avalon City Councilman Scott Nelson when he spotted a Super Bowl commercial for the Frosted Flakes contest.
"I got a hold of Audra the next day and said, 'Audra, you're our grant writer, you know how to write these things better than I do,' " Nelson said.
Alex Morand, an Avalon High School student, helped McDonald make a video in which the city manager, parks and recreation director and students make their cases. They posted their appeal on the Kellog's site and YouTube and residents voted online.
Though their video is getting attention, in part because of Avalon's size, Nelson said the need to improve athletic facilities for youths and adults is pressing.
"Other places have parks," he said. "All we have is just one field, and it's all torn up."
Avalon'a entry can be viewed at http://www.frostedflakes.com/#/plant-a-seed/
Yes to Avalon's remodeled baseball field!!!!! mc