Messenger photos by Britt Kudla Art Johnson, who maintains the grounds at Patterson Field, was recently named the Iowa Parks and Recreation Lay Person Volunteer of the Year.

When Art Johnson heard he was going to receive an award, he didn’t want it at first.

Johnson, who maintains and runs Patterson Field for the late Jerry Patterson, was recently named the Iowa Parks and Recreation Lay Person Volunteer of the Year.

“When (Ryan Maehl) told me about it, I didn’t want to do it (accept the award),” Johnson said. “But then I thought well, I’ll do it for the ballpark.”

Maehl, the assistant recreation director of the Fort Dodge Parks and Recreation Department, said the reaction was typical of both Johnson and a selfless volunteer.

“This is an award that goes to people who don’t want or ask for the credit,” Maehl said. “When they give their acceptance speech, the typical speech is two words — thank you. And that is Art to a ‘T.’

“That’s when you know you nominated the right person. Art is more than deserving.”

After Jerry Patterson died in 2014 at the age of 74 following a 16-year battle with psuedomyxoma peritonei — a rare form of abdominal cancer — Johnson, Jerry’s right-hand man, decided to do his best to keep the vision alive.

“The main thing for me was that Jerry asked me to keep the ballpark going,” Johnson said. “I enjoyed working with Jerry for a lot of years. His main thing was to never charge people to use the park. When Jerry was alive, I remember one year that we had 110 games on the field. We wanted to keep it active and take his dream into the future.”

In 1967, Patterson purchased four acres of land on the southwest side of Fort Dodge. That property then birthed Patterson Field.

With the growing number of youth playing baseball and softball, the Fort Dodge Parks and Rec and The REC needed more space for practices and games.

That’s when the partnership with Patterson Field began.

Over 731 kids signed up for either T-ball, baseball or softball this season. Close to 120 players will be using Patterson Field during the summer months.

“It’s nice to expand out to Patterson, because the Fort Dodge area loves the Patterson Field experience for every young baseball player out there,” said Fort Dodge Parks and Recreation technician Ern Habben. “We are excited to help give them that experience; Art is beyond supportive, and just as excited as we are.

“(Rec alliance ball) is kind of like a last hurrah before Teener League for these young players.”

For the third straight season, the Rec Alliance will have youth games at Patterson Field in the coming months.

“Art reached out to us, showing interest in helping with the program,” Maehl said. “Art is really busy on the maintenance side. We’re blessed to have Jim (Winter, Rogers Park Superintendent), and to add Patterson Field with Art’s support (of the physical grounds).

“We are always looking at what could we do (at Patterson Field). We have used it for fifth and sixth grade leagues in the past. Our leagues are getting bigger. We have 11 fields at Rogers Park, and that just doesn’t support all the teams. There is slow pitch, high school and Rec Alliance going on out there almost every single night.”

This year, Maehl is hoping to expand to play T-ball and fifth and sixth grade baseball at Patterson Field, with the Teener League already in place.

“We always want to take it to the next level,” Maehl said. “The expectations as citizens continue to rise. We are never satisfied. We want more and more for our community, and for a community our size, we have amazing facilities.

“Patterson Field is a crown jewell of Fort Dodge. This is a great partnership for us.”

Johnson admits it’s tough keeping up with all of the physical work at age 72, but he enjoys seeing the kids use Patterson Field for its original intention.

“Ryan was really receptive to it,” Johnson said. “They needed room for other kids. Erin has talked about playing some other leagues here as well.

“It’s just fun to work with the Rec Alliance. Jerry’s vision was always to make sure Patterson Field was being used. I just want to keep it going.”