Play Ball!

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 "MIRACLE FIELD" OPENS JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER Opening Day this Saturday for Wheelchair-friendly Baseball Field CHICAGO - The Bloomingdale-Roselle Rotary Club and the Chicago White Sox announce the opening of The Roselle Miracle Field on Saturday, May 1. It is the first public Miracle Field in the Chicago area, where children with disabilities can play America's favorite pastime with able-bodied children. The Roselle Miracle Field will hold opening day at Parkside Park. Opening Ceremonies will begin at 11:30 a.m. and the games will begin at 11:45. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and bench coach Harold Baines will attend with center fielder Aaron Rowand and former players Moose Skowron and Minnie Minoso. The $350,000 Miracle League Field was built with the help of a $150,000 grant from Chicago White Sox Charities, with the remainder raised through the Bloomingdale-Roselle Rotary Club's Centennial Project. The Roselle Park District is providing the use of the land. The first official Miracle Field in Illinois, located at the new Marklund campus in Geneva, opened last fall and also was supported by a White Sox Charities grant. "We are grateful for the grassroots efforts of area residents and businesses, and for their generous support of this Centennial Project," said Bloomingdale-Roselle Rotary president Dr. Chirag Shah. "It was a community-wide effort. We are pleased to present this facility to the Roselle Park District and commit to its future maintenance." "This field supports one of our most important goals: to spread the love of the game of baseball to kids and families across the Chicagoland area," said White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. "The White Sox want all children to have an opportunity to enjoy the game, regardless of their physical limitations. We're proud to be involved in this project and we thank the Miracle League for their guidance and support." The Miracle League was formed in 1998 by the Rockdale, Georgia Youth Baseball Association. Today, nearly 100 fields have been constructed in cities across the U.S. The mission of the Miracle League Association is to provide opportunities for disabled children to play baseball, regardless of their abilities; to promote community support and sponsorship of Miracle Leagues; and to promote the construction of special facilities that meet the unique needs of Miracle League players and their families. Miracle Fields are made from a weather-resistant synthetic turf, designed specifically for wheelchair bound and/or physically disabled children and adults. The Roselle Miracle Field is located at Parkside Park, 304 E. Pine Street (Pine and Rush streets).