Few pastimes are as memorable and all-American as spending an afternoon at the local baseball field. But for many children confined to a wheelchair, it’s only a spectator sport, with no chance to score a run.
The St. Cloud, Minn., community wanted to change that by giving these children the opportunity to play baseball in an organized league. Through dedicated leadership and the work of generous local contractors, the first pitch for the
Miracle League of Minnesota will be thrown this summer.
Founded in Georgia in 1998, the Miracle League has spread to more than 100 cities across the country. It came to St. Cloud through Brad Barz, a local attorney who heard about the program’s success.
“I grew up loving baseball—the camaraderie, being outdoors in the fresh air,” Barz says. “That can’t be replicated with a video game. And we wanted to provide that experience to children with limited mobility.”
Barz rallied his fellow members of the
St. Cloud Metro Lions Club and began a four-year process of researching, planning, fundraising and establishing partnerships to back the project. One of the people Barz brought on board was Scott Zlotnick, park and recreation director for the city of St. Cloud. Zlotnick was drawn to the project as a way to reach out to all constituents within the community, including people with disabilities.
“Kids of all abilities can have a relationship with baseball. It’s not as limiting as some other sports. They can still swing the bat and get around the bases. It’s a game handicapped children can grow and prosper with,” Zlotnick says. “We’re not trying to create anything new, but rather adapt something that’s already a success around the country.”
Constructing the handicapped-accessible field required the help of local contractors. Zlotnick recruited Concrete Inc., a member of Associated Builders and Contractors’
Minnesota Chapter, to help.
Concrete Inc. sent nine workers to the site for two days of installation. The company has been involved in community service projects before, but never one as big as this.
“We had a great experience working on the Miracle League field,” says Concrete Inc. President Chad Regnier. “The Lions Club members did a great job of getting the community together for the groundbreaking and construction. They were there throughout the construction process thanking the local contractors. We really want to keep moving forward as an organization with community service.”
The Miracle League field was built specifically with wheelchair-bound children in mind. It’s smaller than a Little League field, the surface is made of a soft rubber rather than dirt and the bases do not stick up. Once the field is completed, the Miracle League will hold two games on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The field will be open to the community the rest of the week.
“One of the most amazing things about this project has been the support of the regional contractors. We haven’t heard ‘no’ from anyone,” Barz says. “Even though we were fundraising and planning as the economy was crashing, the size of the donations and time commitment has been very impressive.”