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Miracles really do happen.
Thanks to baseball Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, former Major Leaguer Damian Miller, Kwik Trip and a host of donors, a $420,000 Miracle League baseball field soon will be built adjacent to the La Crosse Area Family YMCA-North Branch in Onalaska.
The La Crosse area’s first Miracle League baseball field will be custom-designed with a cushioned rubberized surface to help prevent injuries, a flat surface to eliminate any barriers to wheelchair users or visually impaired players and wheelchair-accessible dugouts.
The complex also features a concession area with family and handicap-accessible restrooms, shelter and tables, specialized equipment, bleachers, scoreboards, fencing and a backstop.
“It’s a wonderful thing to see these fields and the kids playing on them,” said Killebrew, former Minnesota Twins slugger.
Kevin Thoreson, founder of the Miracle League in Minnesota, said his state has five Miracle League fields, including one in Rochester.
“The field is 130 feet all the way around, with crushed rubber surface over asphalt,” Thoreson said. “Completion takes about six weeks from start to finish.”
Sarah Moxness, YMCA financial development specialist, said funding began less than two years ago. Only $50,000 of the estimated project cost of $420,000 remains to be raised.
Moxness said all funds must be raised before breaking ground, hopefully, by mid- to late July.
“The field can be used for several programs. It’s all about inclusion with our special needs program,” Moxness said. “The field will be utilized constantly. It won’t sit idle. Hopefully, kids will be able to use it as soon as this fall.”
Thoreson said the primary goal of the Miracle League is for kids to blend in like any other kids — with uniforms, a field and adaptive rules.
The Kwik Trip Harmon Killebrew Classic recently was played in the Twin Cities, with a portion of the funds going toward the Miracle League field in Onalaska.
“Every town should have a Miracle Field,” Killebrew said in an interview before the fundraising banquet. “The one we just dedicated in Minnetonka was unbelievable. There were kids on crutches and wheelchairs. Just to see the smiles on their faces was worth it. We get more out of this than the kids do.”
Miller, who first debuted with the Twins before finishing his Major League career with the Milwaukee Brewers, is the honorary chairman for Onalaska’s Miracle League field.
“It was a no-brainer for me to help and support the Miracle League and the field,” he said. “To see these kids’ faces — they just light up.”
Miller, who grew up in West Salem and played baseball for Viterbo University, wants to help children, especially those who are physically challenged, experience what he did as a youngster playing baseball.
“It’s not fair for these kids to not experience what other kids and I experienced growing up,” Miller said. “I plan to remain active and work hands-on with the kids, whether it’s pushing them in their wheelchairs around the bases or whatever. It will be fun. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Diane Alford, national executive director of the Miracle League, said there are 225 Miracle League organizations in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. The program serves more than 100,000 children and young adults.
“There are experiences that change the way we look at life, the way we pursue our dreams, and the way we live our lives,” Alford said. “The Miracle League is one of these experiences.”
Leadership donors to the Miracle League include the Kwik Trip Harmon Killebrew Classic, Minnesota Twins Community Fund, Dave and Barb Skogen, Dave and Barb Erickson, Don and Roxanne Weber, and the
La Crosse Community Foundation/Harold “Pete” Isenman Fund.
Through a matching contribution campaign, Dr. Leo Bronston and Dr. Terry Cowgill are matching every dollar raised through the community fundraising campaign up to $25,000.
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