$500K Grant For Montco Special Needs Baseball Field

HORSHAM, PA — Plans to develop a rubberized turf baseball field for special needs individuals might be one step closer to reality in this eastern Montgomery County community after organizers received a large grant from a local state legislator.

The office of State Sen. Maria Collett, D-Montgomery/Bucks, presented a ceremonial check for $500,000 this past weekend while attending a 'Diamond Night' fundraising event for the Miracle Field of Horsham, which is geared toward constructing a turf field in the community for those with cognitive and physical disabilities.

The grant money will help to develop the land at Deep Meadow Park in Horsham Township and the subsequent planned construction of a rubberized turf field that will accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices for those who will utilize the space.

"Bringing a state-of-the-art Miracle League field to Horsham will send a loud and clear message to local individuals with disabilities and the people who love and care for them," Collett said in a statement. "It will say 'we see you,' 'you matter' and 'you are welcome here.'"

Collett said she worked with Gov. Tom Wolf to secure state funding to go toward the planned project.

In a statement, Horsham Township Manager William Walker said the new grant dollars will be combined with $250,000 that has already been raised and will help ensure the field project moves forward.

William Slaymaker, who serves as board president for the Miracle Field of Horsham, stated that he had received a mailing from Collett soon after starting work on the project in the spring of 2021, and the senator soon got in contact with him about the possibility of trying to secure funding for the project.

"I'm overwhelmed with the support this project has received from her [Collett] and all of our local legislators," Slaymaker said in a statement.

More information about the Horsham project can be found here.

The project falls under the auspices of The Miracle League, which is a nationwide nonprofit organization with more than 300 local affiliates across North America and which works to provide baseball opportunities for individuals with mental and physical disabilities.

The organization says one way it does so is to promote the construction of special facilities that meet the "unique needs of Miracle League players and their families," according to the nonprofit's website.

You can learn more about The Miracle League by visiting the organization's website here.

Last month, the Miracle League of Northampton Township in neighboring Bucks County held a grand reopening ceremony for a new Miracle League playground in that municipality.