Renovated clubhouse, batting tunnel opens at BASE Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A celebration for the renovated clubhouse and batting tunnel at the BASE Chicago, a West Side facility for student athletes, was held Saturday.

"This really is a life-saving mission, we disguise it as baseball, it's really everything else," said Eric Davis, of BASE Chicago, which aims to help athletes on and off the field.

The organization received $15,000 from the Cubs Charities Diamond Project to renovate the gym floor and install the indoor batting tunnel in the vacant CPS school in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.

"You walk in here, it's not a big beautiful baseball facility, but it's home," said Frank Brim, of BASE Chicago.

Ava Williams has been bringing her boys to the facility for years.

"We love everything about the program, it feels more like a family," Williams said.

"It's so desperate in the community. We need more facilities and programs like this, there are a lot of kids out here that really want to play but they have no place to go," said mom Deborah Bankhead.