NoticeIn anticipation of our September 9th Opening Day, an Open House will be held at the Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township on Saturday, June 2nd, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. We invite the athletes, parents, siblings and existing and future volunteers to this community event to discover the benefits the Miracle League will have on all of Northampton County and surrounding areas. Players can register for Season one and our September 9, 2012 Opening Day. Volunteers can sign up for one of many volunteer opportunities. Take a close look at our very special field that is under construction. Meet many of the Miracle League of Northampton County coaches, staff and Board members. Parents - we will answer all your questions regarding your players participation in the Miracle League of Northampton County. |
May 18, 2012. Construction of the facility is beginning to move rapidly and a new page has been added to the site so that you can follow the construction as it moves forward under the watchful eyes of Dave Colver our construction manager. This page will be updated frequently so be sure to visit it frequently. Click here to view the page.
The Business, Industrial and Professional Association of Palmer Township (BIP) is sponsoring a 5K RUN AND 1 MILE FUN WALK as part of the Palmer Community Days. The proceeds of this event will be generously given to the Miracle League of Northampton County. The race will take place on Saturday, August 18th at 9 AM. For full details please visit the race's website.
The Easton Area High School Student Council Executive Board is sponsoring the EAHS SPECIAL NEEDS AWARENESS FUN WALK AND 5K on Saturday, May 19, 2012, at 9:30 AM. Part of the proceeds will be benefit the Miracle League of Northampton County. For the details and registration for please click here.
April 30, 2012. In a letter to the editor in one of the local newspapers a resident of Northampton County questioned the use of latex in Surface America's EverTop surface which is the field surface choice for the Miracle League field being built. The surface to be applied is 100% latex free. Surface America and the surface type are approved by the National Headquarters of the Miracle League. Please click here to visit the Surface America web site that contains the specifications for the product. Since the beginning of this project we have worked with the Miracle League Headquarters to be sure that we follow all of their specifications for the safety of the children who will be enjoying the experience of playing baseball on this field.
April 29, 2012. The new Family Center which is a major part of this project will soon begin construction. Click here to see the design of the building which has been generously designed by Architect Werner Buckl.
February 6, 2012. It is with pleasure that the Miracle League of Northampton County announces a partnership with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. CRSF has a 10 year history of working with non-profits nationwide to build baseball fields for at risk children. Our project is the first Miracle League field that CRSF will provide assistance in its completion. CRSF's professional staff will bring termendous value to our project in fundraising, administrative assistance, construction advise, etc. To view the press release from CRSF click here.
December 12, 2011. On this cool and blue sky clear day in December the Miracle League of Northampton County reached another marvelous milestone in our journey towards providing a Miracle League Field in Northampton County. We held the ground-breaking ceremony marking the beginning of the construction phase of our project. Approximately 75 people attended this event in a show of support for this important project. With media coverage some may not have seen the articles that were printed in our local papers and online so by clicking the following links you will be able to see the articles. The Express-Times, The Morning Call and the Palmer-Forks Patch.
With the ground-breaking we also kicked off the capital campaign. It is our goal to raise $750,000 to fund the capital portion of the project and also provide money to operate the program. Besides the money have has been generously donate and noted in other parts of this site we received a donation of $50,000 from the Palmer Township Athletic Association presented by Mr. Joe Olah, President of the Association. Our Honorary Chairman Biran Schneider's uncle Mike Schneider presented $10,000 from Brian's Catching for Kids Foundation. Lou DiRenzo, President and General Manager of Puritan Products presented $10,000 from his company. We are ever so grateful for these wonderful donations.
Click here to see pictures of this special day.
December 3, 2011. We have reached a very important milestone in our journey to providing a Miracle League Field with the beginning of the physical construction of the field. Charles Chrin Companies, Inc. began the process on December 2nd by stripping off the top soil and Finelli Consulting Engineers staked out the property. The picture to the left was taken on December 30th which shows the field having been stoned and project has been left to settle over the winter. This work has given the project a great advanced into 2012 when work can begin in the Spring.
We thank the Charles Chrin Company and Finelli Consulting Engineers for donating their services for this very important regional project.
The love of the game
America has a rich sports history but no sport is more intricately woven into our nations fabric than baseball. Baseball's roots goes back to 1845 when the first recorded game was played in New Jersey. One hundred and sixty five years later baseball remains "America's pastime."
Many of us grew up we played baseball or softball. We played in organized leagues or pick-up games in the "sand lots." We ran in the grass outfield to catch a fly ball and darted across the base paths trying to "touch them all." What an exhilarating feeling that was! Now try to think of yourself in a wheelchair or walker trying to create that same feeling on a dirt and grass field that you cannot play on.
There are many children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities who cannot enjoy the game because of the barriers a normal field presents. There are thousands of children in greater Northampton County who are not disabled who enjoy the game on fields in every community. However, there is not one field in the county that is designed for a child and adults with disabilities.
Ten years ago the first Miracle League field was built in Conyer, GA and today there are 250 in the nation and growing. The nearest field is the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley located in northern Lehigh County. It is time to build this type of field in Northampton County.
What is the Miracle League
As indicated above the Miracle League was formed in 1997 with its national headquarters located in Conyers, Georgia. Since then their great idea has spread throughout the United States to provide......
...... Hope, Determination and a display of Human Spirit that is unequaled. And of course there is baseball.
There is something about playing the game that lights up a youngster's eyes. But for children with serious physical and intellectual disabilities that opportunity can often be difficult to achieve. Baseball diamonds were not exactly designed with wheelchairs, walkers and crutches in mind.
The Miracle League removes the barriers that keep children with disabilities off the baseball field and lets them experience the joy of America's favorite pastime. Since the barrier for these children arise from the natural grass fields used in conventional youth league, Miracle League teams play on a custom designed field with a rubberized surface that accommodates wheelchairs and other assisting devices while helping to prevent injuries.
But it's more than playing a game. It is about making new friends, building self-esteem and being just like other kids.
The Miracle League of Northampton County
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization has been formed to build a Miracle League field that will serve the greater Northampton County area. This field will be centrally located at the Charles Chrin Community Center complex in Palmer Township. The location is easily accessible for residents of Northampton County, Monroe County, upper Bucks County and Warren County, NJ. Also, the site was selected because the field will be part of recreational complex where children of all ability levels will be playing side by side with their siblings, friends and classmates in a truly integrated recreational facility.
The mission of the Miracle League of Northampton County is to:
Provide an opportunity for children and adults with disabilities to play baseball at a facility that meets the unique needs of the players and their families.
Brian Schneider joins our team
We are honored to have Brian Schneider, Catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies as our honorary chairman of our Board of Directors. Brian is a graduate of Northampton High School and immediately there after he began his professional baseball career in 1995. Brian was nominated for Major League Baseball's Roberto Clemente Award by the Montreal Expos in 2002 for his charity work. Along with his wife Jordan he founded the "Catching for Kids Foundation" which strives to enable children of all backgrounds and physical abilities to enjoy the games they love. Brian and Jordan have a daughter and two sons. For more information on Brian's baseball career please click here.