Wakefield High memorial baseball field house in jeopardy

“My son was a big baseball player and he loved his team and all the teams that he played on,” Steven George Sr. said.

The baseball field at Wakefield High School is where Steven George played his last game.

The 18-year-old senior and three friends were killed in a car crash off the U.S. Highway 64 Bypass in the early morning hours of March 4, 2007. Police say speed and alcohol played a role in the wreck.

“It's kind of a reality check. Every time you get that opportunity (to drive), it is like, 'Wait, this happened to somebody I knew. It could happen to me,'” said Chris Blankership, a Wakefield High School baseball player.

To remember George, his parents raised money to build a field house in his honor at Wakefield High. Players have volunteered their time to work on the project, and supplies have been donated.

“To have something like this in his memory thrills the family to no end. I can't wait to see it finished,” Blankership said.

However, the field house will not be completed unless more money is raised.

"With the economy the way that it is, a lot of people aren't going to be able to help us out who promised originally,” George Sr. said.

About $10,000 of work is needed to finish the project. George Sr. said he is hopeful donors will step up to the plate in his son's honor.

If you would like to contribute to the memorial field house, write to Wakefield High School, 2200 Wakefield Pines Drive, Raleigh, N.C. 27614. Checks can be made out to Wakefield Baseball, noting it is in memory of Steven George.