Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.

FAIRFIELD – Jefferson County Little League honored Rich Stokes with a plaque to commemorate his 50 years of volunteering for both Little League and the Challenger League during a pair of games held Friday, April 25.

Brad Boatman, President of Jefferson County Little League, presented the plaque to Stokes before a Challenger League game where players made posters to congratulate Stokes on his 50 years of service. Not only that, Stokes’ first pitch of the game was to his granddaughter Mackenzie, who is in her third year on the Challenger League.

Joining Stokes inside the pitching circle was his good friend, Ron Hunerdosse, who would celebrate his own 50-year milestone just days later when he completed his 50th year of coaching track. Stokes said that getting to pitch to his granddaughter, and to be surrounded by his friends, made the event extra special.

One of Stokes’ former Little League players, Shane Kramer, traveled from West Des Moines for Friday’s ceremony and ball games. Kramer had Stokes as a coach from 1980-82, and has kept in touch with him ever since.

“He has put in an enormous amount of time, energy and money to work with hundreds of kids,” Kramer said. “He’s made a profound difference to so many kids. He always found something that every kid could do well.”

Kramer said Stokes had a knack for helping players understand their strengths and showing them how they could contribute. He said Stokes was not just his favorite coach growing up but one of his favorite people.

“I’ve stayed in touch with him because he was an important person in my life,” Kramer said.

Stokes’ daughter, Laurie Stokes-Woods, said it was appropriate that Hunerdosse was on the field, too, because the two men are so civic-minded and love having fun together. For about a five-year period, the two dressed in funny costumes for holidays. One time they both dressed up as physicians to surprise a boy in a wheelchair at JCHC.

“They had a big cake for him, and I was crying it was so sweet,” Laurie said.

During the COVID pandemic, Stokes wanted the local doctors and nurses to feel appreciated so he brought them donuts.

In 2023, Jefferson County Little League honored Stokes’ service by naming the ball diamonds after him and installing a sign to reflect the new name. At the time, Stokes said it felt odd to be honored like that, because “I’m getting honored for doing something that I like to do.”

Stokes said he got into coaching Little League because he had an influential Little League coach of his own, growing up in East Brunswick, New Jersey. He wanted to “pay it forward” by shaping the next generation of ball players. Over his 50 years of coaching Little League and Challenger League, Stokes estimates that he’s touched the lives of 1,200 people.

“I’d like to think I made a bit of a difference,” he said.

Stokes said one of his favorite memories from this past half century is the Little League team that went undefeated. And he added that he’s not stopping at 50.

“We’re going for 51,” he said.