Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Publication: Bucks Local News
NORTHAMPTON
BY JEFF WERNER
EDITOR
NORTHAMPTON – Do miracles happen? You bet they do. Just ask Miracle League of Northampton board members and supporters who, over the past two-and-a-half years, raised close to $1 million to build some very special fields in Northampton Township.
On Thursday, July 28 they will gather at the Northampton Community Park at Hatboro and Bristol roads at 5 p.m. to realize the miracle – the ground breaking for the first fully accessible sports complex in the Bucks County area.
“We hope to stand at this site for a ribbon cutting ceremony and a game with our athletes at the beginning of our 2012 softball season. We are thrilled to see that this is finally going to happen. There are no facilities like it in the five-county area,” said Debbi Katz, a member of the Miracle League of Northampton Township Board of Directors.
Legislators and township officials are expected to attend the ceremony and there will be a Color Guard on hand for the singing of the National Anthem. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony. Donors, friends, athletes, and supporters are all invited to celebrate the occasion.
The project, which was first proposed in 2008, was given final approval last September by the Northampton Township Board of Supervisors. Since then, the community has raised more than $800,000 toward its goal of $1 million.
“It’s going to be a beautiful field,” said Nancy Opalka, the director of parks and recreation in Northampton Township, who praised the township for donating the land for the project and everyone who has participated in Miracle League fundraisers.
“I haven’t been more excited about a project in my 23 years than I am about this field,” said Opalka. “And the reason is because a small group of people have done so much and are working so hard to make this a reality for those individuals, young and old, to participate in sports.”
The fields, which will have a rubberized surface for ease of mobility for wheelchairs and walkers, will be used by people with mental and physical impairments.
Katz said the league hopes to extend the use of the field to senior citizens, visually impaired individuals, and others with a special need and desire to play sports. It will provide a safe place for athletes to participate in beginner level or competitive sports, she said.
“Surrounded by fields where the rest of the community plays ball, these athletes will have a chance to have the same athletic experiences as their peers,” said Katz.