MIRACLE LEAGUE SHIFTS INTO HIGH GEAR

March 24, 2005 - As The Miracle League of Pensacola prepares for its first baseball games in April, the local non-profit organization announced four new board positions to bolster park development, the sponsorship and fund-raising effort, and league operations. Rob Doss, Miracle League board member, said, "With the pace and complexity of operations increasing with the commencement of league play and the continuing construction and fund-raising effort, the board thought it should fashion a structural response to stay well ahead of the game."

The Miracle League of Pensacola provides physically and mentally challenged children a safe and spirited program in which they can hit, run, and catch on a baseball field – just like other kids.

Larry Thompson, league founder and president said, "The Miracle League is a place where every player plays, every player hits, every player gets on base, every player scores, and every player wins – every inning. Players who need help with hitting, catching, and throwing the ball are paired with a "buddy" who helps out."

Already, the league is within two weeks of laying its unique crumb rubber playing surface which will enable players with special walking devices and wheelchairs easy negotiation around the playing field. The Cantonment Rotary Club and a team of local volunteers and businesses recently set fence posts and foot rails which marks the final stage of preparation for the application of the playing surface. Final permanent painting of baselines, bases, and "dirt" will occur upon completion of the spring season in May.

With heavy hitters like Mitchell Homes, the Cantonment Rotary Club, Carpenter's Campers, Pace High School, Ted Ciano, Baptist Hospital, the Pensacola Pelicans Baseball Team, Ford Motor Company, and Recovery Technologies Group leading the way, hundreds of other businesses and individuals have contributed cash, goods, and services to the league. As the league looks toward continuing park development in order to meet the needs of the community, it is amplifying its fund-raising and sponsorship effort.