The eyes of the mechanical bull emblazoned with the slogan “Hit bull: Win steak; Hit grass: Win salad” flashed red, and smoke tendrils curled from the bull’s flared nostrils. This bull was a replica of the larger, famous version across the street. Spectators cheered as beaming players made their way around the bases with their volunteer buddies. Benjy Capps, Executive Director of the Miracle League of the Triangle told WRAL News, “Watching them round third and come in to score – every worry in the world that you have will go away with their smiles when they are doing that.”
On Saturday March 25th, the Miracle League of the Triangle celebrated the grand opening of their brand-new field in Durham. The field, five years in the making, is located right across the street from the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the American Tobacco Campus on Morehead Avenue. The Durham location is now the third location for Miracle League of the Triangle, joining Raleigh and Cary locations. The expansion to the western side of the Triangle benefits over 11,000 students with special needs within a 15-minute drive of the Durham site, according to Capps; it will eliminate the strenuous commute to Wake County.
The Miracle League program empowers children and adults with mental and physical disabilities to play baseball by removing physical barriers. The program is not only about playing baseball, though. By utilizing a “buddy” system where each player is paired with a volunteer buddy, the league builds strong bonds and self-esteem. Most of all, the organization’s goal is to create a fun, sociable, and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Sportsmanship and friendship are highly valued; each game ends in a tie and the phrase “everyone wins!” is cheered. There are over 350 Miracle League organizations in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada that serve over 450,000 children and adults. However, this field is just one of the two Miracle Leagues in the country to have a direct connection to minor league baseball (the second partners with the Los Angeles Angels). Cary Academy students often volunteer at Miracle League games across the Triangle through the Delta Service Club, CA’s principal student-driven service organization with over 200 members.
Construction started on the field in 2018 with funding from a $400,000 matching grant between the Durham Bulls and Capitol Broadcasting (WRAL’s parent company) as well as a partnership with the American Tobacco Campus. The facility includes two wheelchair-accessible dugouts, covered stadium seating, and an asphalt track around the field. For many players with disabilities, natural grass fields pose the main barrier, so the Durham field has a custom-designed, rubberized turf field that accommodates wheelchairs and assistive devices. Upon the project’s inception in 2017, Durham Bulls former Vice President George Habel told WRAL, “We’re taking the national pastime and, for these children, I think we’ve elevated it and turning it into something beyond baseball.” Indeed, the field has formed a community between the players and their families, the Bulls, the volunteers, the neighboring senior citizen public housing complex, and the city.
On Saturday, the Grand Opening Ceremony commenced during the time between the game for younger players and the one for adolescents and adults. Durham firefighters in dress uniforms carried the flag during an acapella rendition of the national anthem. The Miracle League of the Triangle Executive Director Benjy Capps and Durham Mayor Elaine O’Neal then gave speeches commemorating the hard work it took to open the field and explaining the importance of the League in the Durham community.
If the atmosphere of excitement and community at the opening of the field on Saturday is any indication, players, their families, volunteers, and the community of Durham can look forward to a promising future for the expansion of the Miracle League.
Sources:
https://www.milb.com/news/bulls-miracle-league-bring-new-field-to-durham-231041770
https://www.wral.com/durham-bulls-miracle-league-field/20781198/
https://www.wral.com/grand-opening-of-new-baseball-field-in-durham-makes-dreams-come-true/20780710/
http://nemamanagement.com/miracle-league.html