Giving Special Ballplayers a Sporting Chance

Daniel Neufeld is a true triple threat. Whether he’s playing ball, taking a photo or painting a picture, he gives it his all.

On May 6, Daniel’s many talents converge at a fundraiser benefiting the Miracle League, a Northampton Township non-profit about to break ground on a new sports field specially designed for those with mental and physical disabilities.

“Artists’ Night Out” – a benefit party and auction – will feature one of Daniel’s paintings along with 50 other pieces of art offered during a silent auction. It takes place 6-9 p.m. at AG Photography, 2288 Second Street Pike in Newtown, where Daniel has worked for 10 years.

“The Miracle League should certainly be supported because it brings people together,” said Daniel, a Holland resident who started playing on league teams when he was in his early teens. Daniel, 25, has pervasive developmental delay, a form of autism. “I really enjoy playing. Please tell everyone to come out.”

The Miracle League is about 85 percent toward its goal of raising $1 million to build and maintain a sports complex on township land at the Northampton Township Municipal Park, according to Debbi Katz, who serves on the board of directors. The fields will be rubberized to allow anyone with a disability, wheelchair or walker easy access.

Northampton has had a sports program for special needs use for 15 years, but as the population grows, so does the need for special fields, which will be used for a variety of sports. Today, 110 participants age 5 to 55 play on eight different Miracle league softball teams throughout Bucks County, said Katz.

“These athletes deserve a chance to be involved in sports,” said Katz. “It benefits them emotionally, socially, physically and intellectually. It’s great for the volunteers, too. We now have almost one-to-one support on the field.”

The Friday fundraiser starts with an hour-long cocktail hour. At 8:00, Judge Bill Benz will auction off Daniel’s painting, a 30-by-40 acrylic on canvas of the New Hope-Ivyland train. During a silent auction, anyone can bid on paintings, sketches, photos, mosaics and pottery donated by local and nationally-known artists, said studio owner Kathrin Marotto.

In addition, there will be wine, cheese and jazz. All proceeds will benefit the Miracle League, Katz said.

“It’s extraordinary to build these fields and this fundraiser is a really big deal,” said Marotto. “We’re finally getting away from beer and beef and golf outings to raise money.”

Katz said the league hopes to break ground this spring and that it will take up to four months to build all of fields, allowing for a curing process between laying the asphalt and adding the rubberized surface. The league also needs to build dug-outs, equipment and storage sheds and bleachers, and pay for a sound system and everything from bats and balls to cones and cages. 

“The more we’ve raised awareness, the more interest we’ve had,” said Katz. “I expect that once we open the second field, we’ll expand even further. If we have space, they’ll use it.”

The league started fundraising in 2009, raising about $10,000 through a “Buy a Brick” program and remaining monies through generous donors, grants and corporate sponsorships.  Katz hopes continued labor and material donations will keep costs down, but even after the fields are finished, fundraising will continue to cover expected annual maintenance costs of about $60,000. 

Sports, said Katz, helps develop muscles and skill sets while building confidence and fostering a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. Participants learn to play with – and against – others.

The fields will be open to anyone who needs it and not restricted to Bucks County residents, said Katz, who adds the elderly would also benefit from the rubberized surface.

Even participants who don’t actually play ball find some way to join in the fun.

“Whether they score the game-winning hit or they’re cheering from the sidelines, all those things are important,” said Katz, an occupational therapist who has devoted her career to managing services for people with injuries or disabilities.

“Everyone counts and everyone comes out with a smile on their face. It’s gratifying, and important.”