'It's a Dream Come True'

After nearly three years of fundraising and hard work, the Miracle League of Northampton, which organizes a baseball and softball league for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities, officially opened their new sports complex Sunday afternoon at during a well-attended ceremony.

Over 100 special needs baseball and softball players of all ages were on hand for the opening of baseball diamond and a nearby multi-purpose sports field designed so players – many of them young children – can participate in sports with ease.

Miracle League of Northampton’s board of directors member, Debbi Katz, looked out at the faces of the smiling players Sunday as she explained that Northampton’s field was the only one like it in the Bucks County area. She added that facilities will benefit special needs players from around the Philadelphia region.

“It’s nice to have a field like this that’s ours,” said Robin Young, whose daughter has special needs and is a cheerleader for the league.

Diane Alford, executive director of national Miracle League organization, attended Sunday’s ceremonies and commended the Northampton community for their support of the project and the extensive fundraising efforts.

“You’ve given us a little glimpse of heaven,” Alford said referencing the 1989 film “Field of Dreams.”

The was paid for entirely by donations from private citizens and companies alike.

“Take a look around and you can just see the support we had,” Katz said as she gazed at the hundreds of people who surrounded the baseball diamond.

For parents of special needs individuals like Evelyn Weiner, whose adult son Larry suffers from down syndrome and will play at the Miracle League complex, Sunday’s field dedication was an “amazing” experience.

“It is amazing what the game does for them,” Evelyn said with tears in her eyes.

For Larry, the game has added a whole new dimension to his social skills. In the past several years her son has played baseball, she says she has seen him make more friends and capture a new sense of confidence.

“This field, it’s a dream come true.”