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The Miracle League Association is a national non-profit organization that was formed to help local communities develop teams and construct fields tailored to the special needs of children with disabilities. These special facilities feature a baseball field covered with a synthetic surface that accommodates wheelchairs and walkers.
The pertinent details concerning the history of this local project are as follows:
In about August of 2001, the Miracle League came to the attention of the Spartanburg County Disabilities and Special Needs Board after the broadcast of the video segment on HBO’s Real Sports. The DSN Board appointed a committee to study the possibility of building a similar facility in Spartanburg County.
The Miracle League Committee contacted the County Recreation Department to see if they had any interest in helping the DSN Board with this project. They were interested and this project became a joint project between the DSN Board and the Recreation Department.
In November of 2001, the Miracle League Committee appeared before County Council to request the use of county-owned real estate on which to build this facility. County Council voted unanimously to allow us to use a parcel of real estate on the periphery of the Proposed Westside Regional Park. If the Committee could raise the funds to build the park, a long-term lease would be executed for the use of the land.
The Miracle League Committee did much of the preliminary detail work. A proposed site plan and cost estimate was obtained (with the help of Blackwood and Associates), research was done, and the Carolina Miracle League Steering Committee was formed to guide this project from that point to its completion.
The Carolina Miracle League Steering Committee began meeting in September of 2002 and is meeting regularly to work on this project. On November 19, 2002, the Carolina Miracle League First Pitch luncheon was held at the Piedmont Club to introduce this idea to the community. About 80 people attended that luncheon. Since then, we have made presentations to local service clubs, school administrators and others to inform the community about this project. We are now in the process of submitting grant applications to some of the local foundations to see if there is money available for this project.
On June 21, 2003 the first exhibition game was played at Duncan Park before the Spartanburg Stingers game. About 20 children and 25 buddies participated in that event. The game helped to generate interest among the children and their parents. Since that first game, exhibition games have been held about 3 times per year. The most recent one was held on October 18, 2005, with local celebrities and dignitaries serving as buddies. At the conclusion of that game, Ronald McDonald and the local McDonalds operators presented the Carolina Miracle League with a check for $10,000 from the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
On November 1, 2003 the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department organized and conducted an auction for the benefit of the Carolina Miracle League, raising over $13,000.
As of now, the total amount of contributions received and commitments for contributions is just over $510,000.
The cost estimate that started at $800,000 has been reduced to about $650,000 because of vendor discounts and in-kind gifts.
Contributions should be sent to the Spartanburg County Foundation, 320 East Main Street, Suite 3, Spartanburg, SC 29302-1943. Checks should reference the Carolina Miracle League Development Fund.
For more information, the contact numbers are: Danny Holcombe 585-5271 Pam Dean 579-1805
A snapshot of the significant events in the history of the Carolina Miracle League September 2001 November 2001 September 2002 November 2002 2003 Also, exhibition games began with the first one being held at Duncan Park in conjunction with a Spartanburg Stingers (Coastal Plain League, collegiate summer league) game. 2004- 2006 Grant awards were received from the
following groups: The 70-space handicapped parking lot for the field was completed and an exhibition game was held at the new site to celebrate the completion of that phase of the project and to announce the new location. Winter 2006 March 2007
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