President Stacie Cook rang the bell to kick off the meeting at 12:08 PM, followed by an invocation by Dave Hartman. Stacie led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance and the song, "Edelweiss." During "R-O-T-A-R-Y," members mingled and greeted one another.
During the Sunshine Report, Dave Hartman reported that the service for past member David Martin went well. It was announced that a contribution was made to his memorial on behalf of the Rotary Club. Stacie also mentioned her sister was having emergency back surgery. We wish her well.
A couple of quick announcements: The end-of-year party will be on Thursday, June 27th, the last Thursday in June. There will be no lunch meeting that day. Additionally, the club is seeking students between their junior and senior year to attend RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards).
During the Brag Bucket segment, Carol Murray collected money from Jason Stewart and Will Goodner. Jason bragged on Colton Heinrich for running the OKC Marathon and Austin Green for participating in Ironman Texas this upcoming weekend. Will bragged about the Rider High School Students and the STUDs for building the new Habitat House on 1803 Britton Street.
This week's program, titled "Wichita Falls Miracle League," was introduced by Josh Phillips. Our guest speaker was Jason Stewart. Jason began by sharing his story of involvement with the Miracle League. His son, Judson, was born with a rare condition, the first diagnosed case in the United States and the third in the world. After Judson's birth, they were rushed to Cook's Children's Hospital. After 46 days, they received the news that Judson would live. He has 13 formal diagnoses and requires care from 16 specialists. Jason described the challenges Judson faced as an infant, including difficulty breathing and eating. The Miracle League provides Judson with the opportunity to be a boy and play a sport, something that means everything to him.
Jason then continued by outlining the history of the Miracle League. It originated with the Rockdale Youth Baseball Association in Metro Atlanta, starting with 120 athletes. The program quickly spread across the world, now serving over 450,000 athletes worldwide.
The Miracle League typically operates under the umbrella of another non-profit organization. In April 2009, the WF Junior League brought the Miracle League to Wichita Falls. It is now part of the YMCA and boasts 8 teams and 125 athletes. Jason began volunteering for the Miracle League in 2019. They were in the midst of a capital campaign when COVID hit. Despite the challenges, they were able to raise $80,000 and update the field by the stadium.
The Miracle League season consists of six weeks. Consider attending a game to cheer on the athletes! They offer free admissions and concessions, they have special guests, and "buddies" who assist the athletes on the field.
In 2023, the program rebranded as the Adaptive Sports League, expanding opportunities for athletes to participate in year-round activities. These include baseball, gymnastics, bowling, kickball, cheerleading, basketball, soccer, and bike riding.
Jason concluded the program by discussing their new initiative, iCan Bike. This week-long camp offers daily 1-hour, 15-minute sessions that teach individuals of all ages with special needs how to ride a bike. The program boasts an 80% success rate, and all campers get to keep their bike and helmet at the end. This program equips participants with valuable transportation skills for the present and future.
The meeting concluded with the speaker's gift presentation and the Four-Way Test.