Jack White Revives Hometown Ballpark

White Stripes/The Raconteurs/The Dead Weather front man Jack White may tour around the world starting bands with equally amazing artists, but White never forgets his roots.

White has donated $170,000 a Clark Park in Detroit where he used to play as a kid. Volunteer Deb Sumner keeps in touch with White who lives in Nashville these days and had been encouraging him to do something as simple as say, play a free concert for the kids. Instead he put his money where his mouth is.

White who grew up in the area spent his childhood playing baseball at the center,  "He was good," said Coach Morris (Mo) Blackwell Jr., to the Detroit News, "Smooth left-handed swing."

While White (who's government name is Jack Gillis) insisted that his donation be kept in secret, it didn't stay that way for long. The park's volunteers are singing the guitarist's praises for giving them the ability to continue providing sports and arts programs as well as an after-school refuge for youth in the embattled neighborhood.

Construction on dugouts and grandstands were reportedly built with the donation starting in fall 2008 with the field opening in time for baseball this summer.

The park itself is always looking for donations, many familiar with the plights of Detroit know the city has definitely seen better days, on the Clark Park website you can donate to fulfill summer dreams

And while Sumner has expressed deep gratitude to White in private and publicly for his generous donation, don't expect her to know anything about his personal life, like when she recalls meeting one of his famous ex-girlfriend's, an Oscar winner by the name of "Rene Wellzinger - or however you say it," she tells the Detroit News. We know who you mean Deb, its okay!

photo courtesy of Detnews.com