Getting everyone in the game is the goal of Mishawaka’s latest park upgrade. The city cut the ribbon Saturday on the renovated Normain Park.
The main feature is the Pfeil Miracle Field, a baseball field designed to be fully accessible to kids and adults with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities.
"The player gets his name called by a PA announcer," explained Parks Superintendent Phil Blasko. "As they’re going up to get ready to bat, their picture’s going to show up on that jumbotron up there. Their intro music will happen."
He also demonstrated a bat swinging device designed by Notre Dame students to help players who may not be able to hold a baseball bat on their own.
Mayor Dave Wood said the park demonstrates Mishawaka’s commitment to inclusion. "Every child deserves the opportunity to play," Wood said. "Every family deserves the opportunity to belong. Every athlete deserves the chance to hear applause. And today, we are saying loudly and proudly that, here in Mishawaka, everyone will be a part of this park."
Dick Pfeil helped spearhead the project. He said he first became interested in bringing a Miracle League field to the area 14 years ago. They looked at various locations, before Mayor Wood agreed to a public-private partnership. The effort ultimately raised more than $4 million dollars in donations.
Pfeil said the project resonated with many people because of their families’ own experiences. “Think of this for a minute. There’s over 80,000 – 80,000 handicapped people within 50 miles of here, an easy trip to our place. So, this part of the park is regional,” Pfeil said.
Other features include the city’s first gated playground, an upgraded splash pad, communication boards to help verbal and nonverbal park users interact with each other, and a piece of equipment called a Sona Arch. It features a variety of interactive games, designed to allow people of all ages and abilities to play together. For those who need a break from all the noisy excitement, there’s a new sensory garden, with plants, furniture and even musical instruments.
Park department employee Zachary Tuttle said the upgrades left him speechless the first time he saw them. "I needed to walk around and process everything I saw," Tuttle said. "Like, I feel like I died and went to heaven."
Now that the park is built, it has its own nonprofit organization to keep it running. Char Speicher is one of its board members.
"We had over 40 people, individuals, sign up to be players, and we hadn’t even advertised yet," Speicher noted. "It was just through word of mouth. One is all the way from Warsaw."
Now, she says they’re looking for volunteers to serve as “buddies” – helping each player on the field – and to help with other parts of the operation. They’re also collecting donations for the next phase, which will feature a basketball court, storybook walk and tot lot.
Mayor Wood said their efforts will make sure the park’s mission continues into the future. "Long after many of us are gone, children we’ll never meet will still be rounding these bases," Wood said. "Parents will still be wiping away tears. Grandparents will still be cheering from the stands."
