12-Year-Old Boy Makes More Than 100 Baseball Bats from Fallen Branches of Derecho Storm, Raising Money for Victims

Using wood from a tree torn down by the storm, Tommy spent 10 hours whittling a baseball bat as a birthday present for his friend with his Grandpa Joe’s whittling tool and sandpaper. The idea quickly gained momentum and, using a little more modern technology, Tommy and his family have established The Great Derecho – Tommy’s Baseball Bat Story.

With the help of his family and a lathe, Tommy’s now made 113 bats, raising $2,500 for victims — with $20 from each purchase going to the The Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation Disaster Relief Fund — and there’s a waitlist of more than 150 people. Talk about a homerun of an idea.