June 21, 2023 – Lost Bridge Road will be closed during the 217 ALZ Wiffle Ball Classic from South Baltimore Avenue to East Fitzgerald Road, with the road reopening each night.
The week-long, backyard wiffle ball tournament is organized by Decatur residents and annually raises funds to further research for Alzheimer’s disease, locally and nationally. Now in its eighth year, the 2023 Classic will be held from August 1-6 in the backyard of a house on the corner of Lewallen Place and Lost Bridge Road.
In past years, volunteers have staffed a crosswalk, placed event signage along the road and installed a Decatur Police Department speed sensor, but tournament organizers feel the safety of their patrons and neighbors could be enhanced with a temporary closure.
“Our organization and its members have all pledged their time and money into giving back to our community and raising awareness for this awful disease,” said 217 WB Classic Inc.’s treasurer, Rusty Johnson. “We know the sacrifices the neighbors are already making to allow us the opportunity to fulfill our mission and don’t want to make things any worse for them. However, the safety of those same neighbors and our patrons is our highest concern going into this year’s event.”
Volunteers will be at both closure gates to permit access to residents who live along the stretch of closed roadway and emergency vehicles. Normal traffic will be detoured down Baltimore Avenue and onto Fitzgerald Road from the east and vice-versa from the west.
For more information about the 217 Wiffle Ball Classic, visit their website HERE.
