Our program featured Rick Agretto from the Miracle League of Northampton County. He recalled being invited to a Palmer Township Supervisors meeting in 2010. Dan McKinney was pitching the idea of a handicap accessible baseball field for Northampton County. Rick’s vast experience with Special Olympics and his love for baseball combined to make this idea irresistible. A community study indicated strong support for such a project. The Township of Palmer agreed to lease a prominent piece of land at a rate of $1/year for 29 years.
The price tag for this field of dreams was $750,000. Easton Rotarians were looking forward to their 100th anniversary celebration in 2015. The Club was looking for a signature project. The Miracle League agreed to name the project Easton Rotary Field in exchange for a $100,000 pledge. That initial pledge gave the project instant legitimacy and the momentum continued to build. The Palmer Township Athletic association pledged $50,000. Geico sponsored a fabulous electronic scoreboard for $50,000. Other organizations followed. Many professional workers donated their time and abilities. There was st ill not enough money.
Then the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation entered the picture. Their mission is to build baseball fields. Their work is generally in urban areas and designed to benefit at-risk youth. They had never built a handicap accessible field. The national Miracle League association offered them an array of projects and ours was the one they selected. The $750,000 project was completed in less than two years and with no debt! This fall the league is celebrating its 10lh anniversary. The league has expanded from 85 players to well over 300. One thing that hasn’t changed is the support from Easton Rotary. The Field will soon sport a brand-new electronic scoreboard courtesy of a $34,000 Easton Rotary pledge.