The Miracle League and Charlie the Tuna.
On Saturday, May 4, Charlie the Star-Kist Tuna joined the players from The Miracle League of Alexandria for a game of baseball on The Miracle League Field on Jefferson Street in Alexandria. The Miracle League of Alexandria’s mission statement is “Every Child Deserves a Chance to Play Baseball,” and they got their chance in early May.
There were 63 participants in the event on Saturday consisting of the children and their parents. Although the event was in Alexandria, children were from all over the area including Mount Vernon, Springfield, and other parts of Fairfax County.
The Miracle League got its start in 1998, when a youth baseball coach invited the first child with a disability to play baseball on his team. Through the years, the program grew and publicity from these events, coupled with positive word of mouth, raised awareness among the families of children with special needs.