Players and volunteers gather for a group photo prior to the start of the Miracle of Alexandria game April 18 at the Kelley Cares Miracle Field.
The Miracle League of Alexandria opened its 2024 season as special needs youth from across the region took to the Kelley Cares Miracle Field April 18 alongside Alexandria City Public Schools middle school volunteers.
“Today is part of an outreach program we have with the Alexandria City Public Schools Office of Inclusion,” said Miracle League chair Mac Slover. “We have been doing this for the past three years and today we have our middle school game with students from GW, Hammond and Jefferson-Houston schools.”
Students and volunteers from the city’s middle schools – George Washington, Francis C. Hammond, and Jefferson-Houston – took to the field playing ball with Miracle League team players.
ACPS teacher Kelly Meranda partners with a Miracle League player during the April 18 Miracle League game at the Kelley Cares Miracle Field.
“We run the program the same way we do our leagues,” Slover said. “Players have an opportunity to come out, hit the ball, circle the bases, and just have a good time. We have been working with Amy Creed and Paula Schnauser from ACPS the last three years and serve about 120 students in the spring and fall seasons.”
The Miracle League of Alexandria started in the spring of 2011 and is now in its 13th year. The organization provides opportunities for children and adults with any physical or cognitive disabilities that might cause them to be excluded from conventional baseball leagues. The league uses a volunteer buddy system called Angels in the Outfield that pairs each player with an able-bodied peer.
Slover, who retired from the Department of Parks and Recreation in 2018, was a driving force behind establishing the Miracle League of Alexandria. Along with Bill Rivers, the two helped raise awareness and funds to build the Kelley Cares Miracle Field, a rubberized field that allows those with special needs to safely play baseball.
Slover praised the support of local Realtor Jen Walker, whose team of agents are sponsors of the Miracle League.
“We are very fortunate to have Jen Walker and her team sponsoring our t-shirts,” Slover said. “Their support has allowed us to provide for our students for the last three years.”
Said Sue Kovalsky of the Jen Walker team, “It’s very exciting and a real honor to be sponsoring the t-shirts for these very special players.”
The Miracle League is a national program founded in 2000 in Atlanta and has grown to over 300 teams in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
For more information or the 2024 season schedule, visit www.miracleleagueofalexandria.com.