Miracle League announces opening day

The Miracle League of Lake County has set July 28 as the opening day for the Miracle League at Lake Health Miracle Park and Lubrizol Miracle Playground. Opening day ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. at the new accessible ballfield located adjacent to Eastlake’s Classic Park, home of the Lake County Captains. The first games will follow the opening ceremonies.

The Miracle League, whose motto is every child deserves a chance to play ball, is a non-profit baseball league for children and adults with special needs.

The inaugural season will feature teams filled with children

from around Northeast Ohio, according to a news release from the Captains. The league is open to any resident in the area.

Lake Health Miracle Park, 35300 Vine St., includes a fully accessible baseball field and playground. The park was built to provide children and adults with special needs and their families with a first-class facility they can call their own.

The ballfield features a smooth rubberized surface developed to meet the needs of players in wheelchairs, scooters or walkers. The dugouts were also designed

to accommodate those who need mobility devices and feature calming or sensory rooms.

The Lubrizol Miracle Playground, which originally opened in September but closed for construction on the ballfield, will reopen on July 28.

Eastlake Mayor Dennis Morley described the 22 months between the initial announcement to opening day as a long journey.

“I am looking forward to everyone being able to have the opportunity to have fun play baseball,” he said.

Lake Health Miracle Park was built through donations from numerous community-minded organizations such as Lake Health, Lubrizol and the Lake County Captains as well as

grants from the Cleveland Foundation, Lake County and the State of Ohio. In addition, other organizations who have been instrumental in this project include the City of Eastlake, Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority, Lighthouse Advisers, FirstEnergy, Medical Mutual, CT Consultants, Greenspace Construction Services, Deepwood Industries and the Deepwood Foundation.

For more about the Miracle League visit www.miracleleagueoflakecounty.org, or e-mail Judy Moran, president of the Miracle League of Lake County, at judymiraclefield@gmail.com, or on Facebook at www.facebook. com/miracleleagueof lakecty.