There’s a well-worn line from the movie “Field of Dreams” that goes, “If you build it, they will come.”

Verbena High School’s independent booster organization, the V-Club, hopes with their upcoming softball tournament fundraiser that “if they come, you can build.”

The Red Devils are one of two schools in the county without lights at their respective baseball field, and are hosting the June 23 tournament as a way of raising money for the athletic department, specifically for putting lights up.

“We’re a small school, so our fundraising is different,” said Diane Patterson, one of the organizers of the event. “We started this club about a year ago, and we’ve had different ones every month.”

The tournament, which starts at 7 a.m. to get all the games in before dark, is open to six men’s and women’s teams apiece. The men’s bracket has three teams currently registered, and two in the women’s. The V-Club is encouraging church teams to come out as their seasons wind down.

There’s a $125 entry fee, and the winners of the tournament will be awarded a trophy.

More importantly, they may be assisting the future of Verbena baseball. The current junior high team has to play doubleheaders with the varsity due to the lack of lighting, and their games often get called because of darkness. Patterson said the junior high group is trying to make progress, but the lack of play hurts.

“They might get out of the third inning,” said Patterson. “These junior high boys started the youth league here to help get Verbena baseball back on track.”

The V-Club is a small group, but loyal to the Red Devils. Patterson also said only two of the members of the club have children that are current students; most have already graduated but still want to give back.

“[We’re] just trying to help out the school,” she said.

For more information, contact Patterson at 389-5870, or Julius Kelley at 755-1999.