The Miracle League, a baseball league for children with disabilities, kicked off its 12th season recently on a new field at the Burton Center in Greenwood, SC.
More than 75 players, all with special needs that would prevent them from participating in a typical league, were on hand to play ball on a new field designed with a rubber surface so that players using wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches can maneuver around the bases.
The season almost didn’t happen, as heat and water damaged the prior field beyond repair. However, volunteers from Ascend Cares Foundation stepped in, designing and building a new field, according to a media release.
“Due to the condition of the field, our players missed the fall baseball season,” says Amy Ashley at Miracle League.
“We know how much the children love baseball, so we reached out to our local community for help. Ascend Cares quickly contacted us about wanting to fund and build a new field.”
The volunteers from the Ascend Cares Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization funded and led by Ascend Performance Materials employees, removed the field in June as a part of the company’s Global Day of Caring. Ascend Cares also contributed $60,000 toward the cost of rebuilding.
“Children’s health and safety is one of our passions at Ascend Cares,” says Rachell Gold, executive director of the Ascend Cares Foundation, in the release. “Being able to get these children back to playing their favorite sport is important for the players, their families, local communities and everyone involved in this project.”
[Source(s): Ascend Cares Foundation, Business Wire]
