Now that the homecoming celebration is done for the Opp 12-year-old All Stars, parents are scrambling to figure out how to pay for next week’s trip to the 12U Babe Ruth Baseball World Series in Hammond, Ind.

Parents met Monday night to decide definitely if the team will travel, and everything is now “a go,” said parent Julie Worley.

The team’s win at the Southeast Regional Championship last week was a “dream come true,” she said.

“But we never looked at us going to the World Series as being a possibility,” Worley said. “We leave in a week, so we only have a few days to plan things.”

Julie Moody, whose son, Trey, plays on the team, said next week’s tournament is a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

“These boys range from age 11 to 12 and some just now turned 13,” Moody said. “Most of them have never even watched a World Series before now.”

Moody, like most parents, was speechless when she talked about the team’s accomplishment.

“They’re a very close-knit team,” she said. “I don’t know how to put it into words. This is a good group of boys who were complimented well by the people where we were staying (in North Carolina), and by the people at the ball parks for the way they behaved.

“They’re just a good group of boys who have the potential to do something that nobody here has ever had the opportunity to do,” she said.

The Babe Ruth organization will pay for airfare for the team and coaches; however, it’s the parents’ responsibility to cover hotel, food and incidental costs, as well as their own travel costs.

Estimated hotel cost is $130 per night, Worley said, and with the team staying from Aug. 9 through Aug. 16 – and possibly longer – that adds up.

“And of course, you don’t want your child in a hotel room in Indiana without you there,” she said. “We’ve thrown out all kinds of ideas, but time is a problem. We’ll have our first practice (tonight), and I hope we can come up with some ideas to raise money.”

Moody said before the regional tournament, the team held a car wash to help raise funds for the trip.

While it’s going to be easy to come up with ways to raise money, Moody said the only problem is the time window.

“This Saturday is the only time we can do anything,” she said. “With the limited amount of time, we just ask you to support these boys and give donations.

“These boys fly out a week from (today). In this limited time frame, we just ask people to assist us.”

In the meantime, those wishing to assist with the trip can make donations to the Opp Cal Ripken account at Southern Independent Bank.