County Helps Fund Miracle League

The 70 children and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities who play in the Miracle League baseball program at Lake June Park in Lake Placid will be getting a new rubberized playing surface.

Highlands County commissioners put the last piece of funding in place for the project, estimated at $200,000, on Tuesday, by approving funding of $30,000 per year over the next four years.

John Komasa, parks and recreation director for Lake Placid, said the new surface will be much safer and more conducive for players, especially those using wheelchairs or adapted walkers to play in the games.

The Miracle League runs from August through November, with spring skills clinics, and has just completed its second season.

"It has touched a lot of lives," said John Varady, a former special education teacher and assistant director of the league. "You're talking about a group that over the years hasn't had a lot of opportunities."

Jonathan Haislip told the commissioners the league provides great opportunity for not only recreation but also friendship for people like his brother, Troy Bostic, who deals with autism and mental retardation.

"He's had 74 operations and he's 25 years old," Haislip said. "To see him have the opportunity to run and catch the ball and play like I did when I was a kid means a lot."

The county's contribution comes out of the recreation capital improvements fund, financed by the county's one penny sales tax.

The Glades Electric Community Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant to Lake Placid for the field. The town also raised about $10,000 in other donations and is allocating $20,000 for the new playing surface, which also will be used for other youth baseball and softball leagues, Komasa said.

The commissioners also awarded $27,200 from the recreation capital improvements fund to pay one-third the cost of improvements to a baseball/softball field at Sun 'n Lake of Sebring.