"I don't have a vision,
I have apassion.
This thing is bigger than any of us think it is".
So
says Gary Geiger, League Director of the Miracle League of
Visalia. This passion was ignited when he first saw the video
which is a culmination of news stories and interviews with
athletes from the McMiracle
League in Conyers, Georgia. Members of this
league have two things in common, a love for the game of baseball
and a physical or mental handicap. Among the hundreds of
members are superstars like Lauren Gunder, Susie Garner and
Nicholas Slade.
Even though he has seen the video
hundreds of times, Geiger is still moved to tears when he watches
it.
Visalia Parks Commissioner Bill Dillberg
attests to the emotional impact the video has.
"When Gary showed the video at a
parks commission meeting, there wasn't a dry
eye in the room," Dillberg states.
Geiger found that getting support for
building a baseball field that is equipped for physically and
mentally challenged children was easy. However, in a project
of this size and cost, finding a location is usually much more
difficult. But this proved to be as simple as having a chat with a
neighbor. Visalia First Assembly of God quickly agreed to take the idea of
building the field on a part of the church's property to the board
of directors of his church.
This idea was soon approved, and
on July 14, 2002, in a ceremony held at that location, a
groundbreaking was held to begin the building of the Miracle
League of Visalia's Field of Dreams.
Not only will there be a baseball field
built for physically and mentally challenged children and adults,
but adjacent to it will be a larger field for adult athletes with
special needs.
There is hope that fields of this type will soon be
built in many other areas.
The total cost of the field was an estimated
$500,000+. Geiger donated a sizable amount
himself and Major League Baseball contributed by purchasing the special synthetic surface that provides
"give" at impact, prevents bad hops and allows
wheelchairs and other support devices to easily maneuver.
According to Geiger, "it will be a
project of all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds who
come together for a great cause."
This idea was soon approved, and
on July 14, 2002, in a ceremony held at that location, a
groundbreaking was held to begin the building of the Miracle
League of Visalia's Field of Dreams. 