Ankeny Miracle League Field Project Ready to Kick Off Public Fundraising Stage

Ankeny residents behind a huge project that will give hundreds of local children with disabilities a new place to play are ready to take their fundraising efforts to the streets.

The Ankeny Miracle League Field and All-Inclusive Playground steering committee will officially kick off its public fundraising efforts tomorrow night at a special 6 p.m. event at the Pinnacle Club at in Ankeny.

Those interested can attend the event to learn more about project, as well as how it will benefit the community. Those who have already given more than $300,000 to the estimated $1 million project also will be on hand to encourage the community to give what they can to make the project reality.

“We’re ready to make it clear to everyone that this is a viable program,” said Kerry Walter-Ashby, chairwoman of the steering committee. “It’s going to bring the entire community together in a way that isn’t already happening in Ankeny.”

Want to learn more about the Ankeny Miracle League Field and All-Inclusive Playground? .

The Ankeny Miracle League Field and All-Inclusive Playground will provide close to 800 local kids with an opportunity to play baseball on a field that fits their special needs.

The proposed location for the field and the playground will be on the east side of Hawkeye Park just west of , said Parks and Recreation Director Todd Redenius. It will be adjacent to the two baseball diamonds in Hawkeye Park. The city of Ankeny already has committed the land to the project.

“These kids will be playing the same time other T-ball leagues are competing,” Redenius told Ankeny Patch in an earlier interview. “We’ll be integrating the programs together … and they’ll be playing together.”

The all-inclusive playground – meaning children with or without disabilities can use the equipment – would be the first in the state of Iowa. The field will give children a chance to participate in Little League and T-ball on a field constructed with a rubber surface.

Walter-Ashby said she’s confident this project is one the community will support.

“It will be educational for participants, their families and the entire community,” she said. “What we’ve seen at the Des Moines (Miracle League Field) is when kids and adults help children with special needs, barriers are brought down.

The committee responsible for this project is comprised of representatives from the , the Parks and Recreation Board of Directors as well as employees, the, the Ankeny Kiwanis Club and other volunteers.

“Everyone on the committee as an emotional or personal stake in this project,” Walter-Ashby said.

Planning for this project kicked off late last year. Since it began, the committee has been quietly seeking donations from area companies and businesses.

“We set a goal to try to reach $100,000 in donations and pledges before saying we were done with the quiet phase and moving on to the public phase,” Walter-Ashby said.

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The project needs close to an additional $700,000 before it can break ground, something Walter-Ashby is hoping to do by this time next year. If all goes well, she said the city could start offering programming for kids by fall 2013.

If anyone wishes to donate, all they need to do is stop by the , located at 210 N. Ankeny Blvd.

“There are so many benefits beyond what we ever imagined for this,” Walter-Ashby said. “It will be a real joy to see this happen in Ankeny.”