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After Years Of Fundraising, Miracle League Set To Play Ball

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Special needs children in South Florida finally have a field of their own.

After years of fundraising, the Miracle League of Miami-Dade is ready to play ball. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Sunday morning at Tamiami Park, followed by the first Miracle League baseball game.

The facility is the county's first fully ADA-accessible field specifically designed for the 69,000 children and young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in the area, which broke ground in 2016. The safe and obstacle-free environment consists of specialized rubber fields, dugouts, a playground, a concession building, restrooms, and "quiet rooms" for parents and children.

The event was attended by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Marlins President David Samson and a host of Marlins greats and local dignitaries.

"Every child deserves a chance to play baseball," said MLOMD Co-Chairman, Ray Rocha.

The Miracle League of Miami-Dade was founded in 2010, joining a nationwide initiative to enable children with disabilities such as Autism, Down syndrome, Cancer and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), to play the game of baseball and be part of a team.

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