VISTA —— The Vista Firefighters Association donated $1,000 on Saturday to the Vista American Little League to purchase new baseball supplies after French Field, their usual venue of sport, was closed in early January after it was suspected to have lead contamination, firefighters said.

The league has had to move to the less well equipped Breeze Hill Field, and the money from the firefighters will help pay for fences needed for the field and a pitcher's mound, among other improvements, said Capt. Rich Wilkinson, the head of the firefighters association.

"It is very important that the Little League have a safe and desirable field in which to play," said Wilkinson. "Currently, they are still running tests on the lead levels at French Field to see if it really is unusable due to contamination."

Wilkinson said firefighters also helped to move whatever equipment was possible from the old field.

Money is generated for the Vista Fire Association's charity account each year through fund-raising events such as a golf tournament. The profits from the events are donated to a number of local causes, many of them youth oriented, Wilkinson said.