Accessibility menu
State Representative Joe Atkins
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4192
For more information contact: Chris Shields 651-296-8873
Press/News Releases
ATKINS MAKES FIRST PITCH FOR "MIRACLE FIELDS"
On Baseball’s Opening Day, Lawmakers Back Bill to Bring Baseball to Disabled Children
ST. PAUL - A bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by State Representative Joe Atkins of Inver Grove Heights, along with disabled youth athletes and their families, announced legislation today that would provide state bonding assistance to build more fields for children with disabilities. Atkins' legislation would provide the Miracle League of Minnesota, a baseball league for disabled youth, with seed money to help spur its private fundraising efforts. Atkins said he got the idea after reading a story about the field going up in Lakeville and based on his experience with a boy who played on his daughter’s t-ball team.
“I saw firsthand the joy this little boy got from playing baseball with his teammates, and the joy his teammates got from playing with him," said Atkins, “But I also saw the terrible struggle that a typical field presented for him.”
A Miracle Field incorporates a cushioned synthetic turf that accommodates wheelchairs and other walking assistance devices, while helping prevent injuries. Children without disabilities can also use the fields. So far, the Miracle League has built a field in Blaine and has broken ground on fields in Minnetonka and Lakeville. Each field costs roughly $275,000 to build.
Miracle League of Minnesota Executive Director Kevin Thoresen said Atkins' legislation would provide more opportunities to the more than 80,000 Minnesota children who are considered disabled.
“With a little support from the state, we can make the Miracle League grow by leaps and bounds and provide more opportunities to our athletes," Thoresen said.
State Senator Geoff Michel of Edina is carrying the legislation in the Senate. The bill is co-authored by House Capital Investment Chair Alice Hausman of St. Paul and State Rep. Mary Liz Holberg of Lakeville.
-30-
News Items
- Rep. Atkins, Sen. Lourey Introduce Health Insurance Exchange Legislation - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 3:44PM)
- Rep. Atkins – Statement on Deal to End NHL Lockout - (Posted: Jan 7 2013 2:05PM)
- Rep. Atkins to Hold Minnesota House Hearing on Economic Impact of Hockey Lockout - (Posted: Jan 2 2013 3:20PM)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.