Hard Rock gift will help commemorate women’s baseball in Rockford

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Each month, the Hard Rock Casino Rockford donates the funds it collects on the casino floor to a local organization. With the latest donation, $2,000 will go toward funding the International Women’s Baseball Museum (IWBM).

“They were the recipients of the first-ever donation from Rockford Casino so we’re excited to continue our support of the project,” said Hard Rock’s Human Resources manager, Aleksandra Micevic.

The museum will be built on the other side of the street to Beyer Stadium, the former home of the Rockford Peaches. World-renowned architect and Belvidere native, Jeanne Gang, will design the building.

“There are families here. There are people who come just to see the field because of its historic nature. And we know that people will come to the baseball museum and they will wanna be connected to the field,” said International Women’s Baseball Center Board Member, Rosemary Collins.

The money will help cover fees for architects who will turn all the ideas for the IWBC into reality. Collins says she cannot wait for the museum to open its doors.

“It connects with so many people on an emotional level. And so we’re gonna be able to draw people here to get them to share that experience and to see how women’s baseball is such a big part of people’s lives,” she told 23 News.

There is no due date for the completion of the project yet, but the architectural design plans are in place. For now, it’s just a question of how long the construction will take.

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