Stolen Jackie Robinson statue will be replaced after more than $160,000 donated

Source: The Guardian

Thu 1 Feb 2024 09.09 EST


A historic statue of baseball trailblazer Jackie Robinson will be replaced after donations poured in to restore the statue that was stolen from a Kansas park and found destroyed.

On Wednesday – which would have been the 105th birthday of Jackie Robinson – an online fundraiser raised more than $160,000 to replace a bronze statue of the baseball legend that was stolen from the McAdams Park in Wichita, Kansas, the Associated Press reported.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and its 30 clubs have also promised to help restore the stolen statue of Robinson, the first Black baseball player to integrate Major League Baseball in 1947, MLB.com reported. The fundraiser raised more than double the amount needed to replace the $75,000 statue, which was stolen last week from the public park.

Last week, the bronze statue was found dismantled. Robinson’s likeness had been cut off at the ankles. Officials later found burning remains of the statue in a trash can in the park. Those responsible for the theft and vandalism have not been caught. Police are unsure if the statue’s theft and subsequent vandalism were racially motivated.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/01/jackie-robinson-statue-kansas-replaced