TYLER, Texas — Smith County commissioners on Tuesday approved giving over $264,000 in federal COVID-19 pandemic economic relief funding to build a specialized baseball field accommodating students with disabilities.
The court voted in favor of using $264,654 of its American Rescue Plan Act monies to build the rubberized turf baseball field at Faulkner Park in Tyler for the new nonprofit, Miracle League of Tyler.
According to Smith County, the special field allows for wheelchairs and other devices to move across it easier and assists in preventing any fall-related injuries.
Shannon Glenney, fund development vice president for Miracle League of Tyler, told the commissioners that some families have to drive close to an hour away to participate in other Miracle League groups.
Currently, the closest one is in Longview -- the Miracle League of East Texas. Glenney said the new Miracle League field will be available to children across Smith County.
“Smith County is a community in which we are proud to live and work and raise a family,” she said. “With the help of the city of Tyler, we are extremely excited to give back to our community by creating a Miracle League field that will enhance the lives of hundreds of families every year at Faulkner Park.”
The city of Tyler is giving the nonprofit a portion of land at Faulkner Park to build this baseball field near the ones currently in place. The Miracle League is raising money to build the field and the city will be maintaining it, according to the county statement.
Glenney said the Miracle League uses the buddy system to pair up the players with an able-bodied peer. Miracle League organizations serve kids and adults who have physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities.
She added that the games are "crazy fun" and "always packed and the score is not important."
“Every child is a blessing and every child deserves to be blessed. This is awesome,” Pct. 2 Commissioner John Moore said.
ARPA funding comes the federal government to assist groups after the economic downturn related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith County has received over $45 million in these funds.