BUTLER TWP — The Potter Tour is back in town — and Butler figures to benefit from its two-day stay.

Jeff Potter, a baseball coach residing in Maryland, has the tour — consisting of himself, four adult chaperones and nine baseball players ages 14-18 — in motion for the 11th consecutive year. This is its 10th straight year in Butler.

The contingent arrived in Butler Sunday night and will spend Monday and Tuesday doing work at Alameda Park, packaging meals for families in need and doing landscape/painting work at a few houses.

“Butler is our first stop,” said Potter of the 32-day tour. “We'll be going to Ellwood City, New Castle, Meadville, Oil City, Clarion, Reading, Virginia Beach, Richmond ... a number of places.”

While the Potter Tour does play a few baseball games and puts on clinics, those activities won't be taking place here over the next two days.

“I know we'll be repairing a fence and doing some painting at Alameda Park,” Potter said. “We're arriving there at 7:30 (Monday morning) and will receive a list of things the park wants us to do at that point.

“We'll be picking up food at grocery stores, bringing it back and help sort it into packages for delivery to families as part of the 'Stuff a Bus' project. And we were asked by a few families to stop by some houses and do some work.

“Some people, for different reasons, are unable to get outdoors and do work that needs done. We assist with things like landscaping, painting, power-washing, pulling weeds ... whatever needs done,” Potter added.

Youths on this summer's Potter Tour come from Alabama, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland.

Bryan Shirkey, 18, of Fairfax, Va., is on the Potter Tour for the fifth year. Kahleb Herring, 18, of Chesapeake, Va., is on the tour for a third year.

“I like traveling around to different places, meeting different people,” Shirkey said. “We develop relationships when we help people out.

“We get tired sometimes when it's hot out, but people keep us hydrated. They're good to us.”

Potter said that meals, drinks and snacks are donated by people who appreciate the tour's work. Some youths on the tour stay with host families. Others pitch a tent and camp out.

“We keep it fun and exciting for the kids,” Potter said. “We stay in cabins, churches, hotels, tents, whatever it takes.”

“Parents deserve a lot of credit for the tour's success. They see this tour as life lessons for their kids. It shows them what's important in life.”

And Herring gets it.

“It's super special to put smiles on people's faces,” Herring said. “That never gets old.

“We play five or 10 baseball games on the tour and put on 20 to 25 clinics for kids 12 and younger. Those are fun, but it's helping people that I like the best. This tour is my favorite time of year.”