SLIPPERY ROCK — Julia Hart officially turned on the scoreboard.

Slippery Rock High School softball's junior second baseman knocked out a precious memory shortly thereafter.

The new softball scoreboard at the SRHS field — installed beyond the left field fence earlier in the day — was dedicated in honor of Julia's mother, Glee Hart, before the Rockets' home game against Jamestown Wednesday afternoon.

Glee Hart died of breast cancer March 9. She was diagnosed with the disease Sept. 20, 2016.

“That scoreboard isn't there without Glee,” said Dan Hindman, Slippery Rock varsity softball coach. “It will forever be a tribute to her.”

When the softball field was first built atop the hill behind the high school, a scoreboard wasn't part of the original plan. As Julia and her friends began playing for Slippery Rock, Glee questioned the absence of a scoreboard at the facility.

“That always bothered her,” said her husband, Mike Hart. “She's a go-getter. When she wants something done, she finds a way to get it done.”

Glee Hart approached the school board and the athletic director. She initiated fundraising 15 months ago. The cost of the scoreboard was about $9,000.

When friends told her she was wasting her time and that it was never going to happen, “that just motivated her more,” Hart said.

At the time of her death, the funding was not complete. An anonymous donor kicked in the final $2,000, Hart said, and the scoreboard became a reality.

“It's awesome. Every time I look at it, I'll think of my mom,” Julia said.

She honored her mother in a special way Wednesday night.

This story is an excerpt. To find out how Julia honored her mother and read more about the community effort to erect the scoreboard and its dedication at SRHS, make sure to pick up Monday's Butler Eagle or subscribe online.