ARVADA – Horses used to roam the pasture beside Dave Brown’s home in northwest Arvada, but on Saturday morning, it was full of Vipers and Tigers.

“The Vipers verses the Tigers,” Brown said with a smile. “This is baseball at its finest right here.”

Six years ago, Brown converted his pasture off McIntyre Court into a baseball field. He built the field for his son and now invites local youth baseball teams to practice on the field for free.

“The white fences, the ambiance in the neighborhood – they really enjoy it,” Brown said.

On this Saturday morning, Brown hosted a hard-fought game complete with cheering fans and hotdogs sizzling on the grill.

“Today we’re having our annual game with a couple nine-year-old teams,” Brown said.

Saturday marked the second annual “Brownstown Dreamspark Food Drive, Fundraiser and Youth Baseball Game.” In exchange for the field, players and fans were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Arvada Community Food Bank.

“Our goal is $6,000 and 20 boxes of food,” Brown said.

Spectators like Michelle Griffin and her sons brought along some spaghetti and sauce to donate.

“It just brings happiness and light to the community in general,” she said.

That’s why Dave Brown calls it “baseball at its finest.”

“The teams get a chance to play against each other, and we’re raising money and everybody’s donating and feeling a sense of community,” Brown said.

Not everyone is a fan of Brown’s backyard baseball field, particularly his neighbor across the street. Joe Jehn told 9NEWS teams practice on Brown’s field most nights during the week, and he’s tired of cars parking in front of his home. 

Jehn said he objected to a variance Brown sought from the Jefferson County Board of Adjustment for a large backstop behind home plate. Brown ended up taking down the backstop and replacing it with a smaller one.

Brown hopes the rest of the neighborhood will embrace his backyard field for years to come.

“This is our field of dreams,” he said.
 

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