Bright lights, tube socks, Wrigley’s Chewing gum, and the smell of fresh cut grass. You may laugh when I say these bring back fond memories of my child hood. They quickly take me back to my days of youth baseball. I can still picture the faces of my teammates, rally caps on backwards ready for a big comeback. Team sports are the building blocks of young adults, teaching them how to work together, be part of a team, and have respect for others win or lose. These are experiences that make us better people, but not everyone gets this opportunity. Enter Miracle League of the Triangle.
In 2004, Robin Rose and Tony Withers were inspired to form Miracle League of the Triangle (MLT) with one simple goal: provide children with special needs the opportunity to play baseball. The construction of a field alone would be a major undertaking. A functioning field requires that all surfaces are wheel chair accessible, unique safety concerns must be addressed for the players, and ample parking must be available with wheel chair access. The first field in Cary was opened in 2006 with over 100 players participating in the inaugural season. The leagues success continued with over 320 players and 4,000 volunteer opportunities in 2012, leading to the need for a second North Raleigh field.
Bland Landscaping was introduced to MLT nearly seven years ago, but our true calling showed up in 2013 when it was time to landscape the North Raleigh field. We saw an opportunity to make a real impact by doing something we know well. We committed to handle the landscape installation with the goal of eliminating as many costs to MLT as possible. We were able to reduce the cost of a significant landscape project by nearly 75% through working with our vendors for donated materials, using volunteers when possible, and internally absorbing many of the incurred costs. The field had its grand opening in March of 2014 and is already approaching 50% capacity in its first year. We will continue to service the new field, volunteer to help with games, and are committed to being a part of future projects.
We are proud to be part of the Miracle League of the Triangle and welcome you to join us in serving. If you would like to learn more about what you can do to help out, please contact me at mbland@blandlandscaping.com and/or visit miracleleagueofthetriangle.com. Matt Bland