Through softball tournaments or storms, the Covington Baptist Association is proving that they aim to provide clean laundry when the need arises.

And with more than 200 players and officials, and the sweat and the dirt and the occasional Gatorade stain, it’s little wonder that laundry is one of the biggest chores in pulling off the 12U Babe Ruth Softball World Series.

To get the girls and Babe Ruth officials looking their best, a host of volunteers are manning the CBA’s portable disaster washing unit. Equipped with the three washing machines and four dryers, the unit has proven to be a Godsend to those utilizing is services, the Rev. Leroy Cole said.

“The umpires, with all the heat, said they were very appreciative (Friday),” Cole said. “They said they’ve never been to any other community that has done something like this for them. When they brought their uniforms in, you could have rung the water out of them.”

In a little more than hour, Cole’s volunteer staff – which on Friday consisted of Carla Mooney and the Rev. Ron Thompson – had the official staff back on the mound and in a clean uniform.

In the current situation, the unit is operating off of on-site utilities including water, power and drainage. Gas dryers utilize propane, which is located in the tanks on the front of the unit. In times of disaster, the unit is operated using a generator. It can be operated using one volunteer; however for the World Series, Cole said is using anywhere from two to four volunteers on a shift.

“When we were organizing this, I put the word out and different church members took a three-hour shift,” he said.

Teams and officials drop off their dirty laundry and pick it back up when finished, he said.

Andrea Witten of Fern Creek, Ky., described the service as “amazing.”

“This is so nice for you to do this for us,” she said. “Everyone has been so nice to us here.”

Cole said the unit will be available for team use today until 10 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. On Monday, it will be staffed from 8 a.m. until noon.

It is located on the midway of the Kiwanis Center.