HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – The Hastings Little Leagues were set to start up in the Little League Baseball World Series Thursday. On long trips food, gas, hotels and other necessities can add up, but Downtown Hastings’ ‘Small Town Famous’ owner, Matt Cranson and his wife, found a stylish way to help out with the expenses. The local shop that sells goods like candy, coffee, decorations and apparel made t-shirts to help support the team.
Cranson said there was a reason they decided to help out the boys and contribute to their journey.
“A couple of the coaches I know just from living in Hastings the past few years and I’m a huge baseball fan so, when they approached us about doing some uniforms for them I just talked to my wife and said ‘let’s do this and help them out,’ and it’s just kind of turned into a whirlwind the past few days,” He said.
Cranson noted $10 from each shirt they sold was going to the Hastings Little League. That wasn’t all Cranson had done for the team either, he also raised and donated nearly $3,000 to the Hastings Little Leagues during the Litte League Midwest Regional tournament.
Andi Brown, grandparent of Owen Brown on the Hastings Little Leagues team, was in Small Town Famous Thursday and had purchased a number of t-shirts for her and other family members.
“They have been great through all of this, supporting them right at the beginning, supporting them now again that they know they’re in Williamsport,” Andi Brown said. “The team always has had a great rapport of Small Town Famous. Small town famous has just always back them.”
Cranson said the fundraiser that they’re doing now it the third one they’ve done to help out the Hastings Little Leagues in the 2021 season.
The dedication and support Cranson and his crew had provided to the local team hadn’t gone unnoticed by Andi Brown.
“A lot of this funding is helping the parents so they can be there and enjoy it and experience it right along with their boys so, you know a lot of people would not even begin to afford to, you know, to have even done the regional tournament yet now go on to Pennsylvania,” she said.
Andi Brown added she was flying out Wednesday to watch the Little League World Series and also to hand out the t-shirts she had gotten from Small Town Famous.
“When this is all said and done it’ll probably be close to $4,000 that Small Town Famous has been able to donate to the team. It’s been fun to donate a large chunk of the sales back,” Cranson said.
The Little League World Series shirts were available in the colors gray and white and were ready for purchase for $20 both in-store and online.
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