Welcome to The Miracle League
of the Chippewa Valley!
The Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley gives children ages 4-19 who have cognitive or physical disabilities the opportunity to play baseball on a rubberized field. That special field allows players the use of assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and braces, helping to alleviate falls and trips.
We’ve completed our second season of play — with more than 110 players! — at the Miracle League Field at Jeffers Road Park on Eau Claire’s northwest side. The field was dedicated in June 2017, with regular-season play running two nights each week (except for the week of July 4) until early August.
Players and volunteers alike continue to make new memories on our beautiful field, with family and friends cheering them on from the bleachers!
If you’d like to help as a financial donor or volunteer, we’re happy to have you! To make a financial donation, click here. To register as a volunteer — helping our kids enjoy their time on the field, or umpiring, or helping with scheduling, or any other purpose — click here.
The Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley is making a huge difference for children in Wisconsin’s greater Chippewa Valley — kids who have wanted to play ball but haven’t had the opportunity. In Miracle League play, they get the same opportunities as any other kid!
To purchase your MLCV spirit wear, click here!
What happens in Miracle League play:
- Every game has two innings. Every player bats. Every player scores. Every player is accompanied on field by a volunteer “buddy,” who must be at least 14 years old. That buddy stays with that player for every game of the two-month season. The teams and players are introduced to the crowd before the game, and the national anthem is played. Between innings, we do a “seventh-inning stretch” and sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Volunteers also serve as announcers, umpires and coaches.
Player and volunteer registration:
- Player registration for the 2019 season will open Jan. 1, 2019. Volunteer registration options: Click here for the mail-in form for volunteer. Click here for the online form for volunteer.
Goodwill NCW produced this 2015 video about its Miracle Leagues in the Fox Valley and Lakeshore.
While the Miracle League is new to the Chippewa Valley, it’s not new to other areas of our state. Goodwill NCW supports the Miracle League of the Fox Valley (with a field in Appleton) and the Miracle League of the Lakeshore (Manitowoc), and other Miracle Leagues operate in Green Bay, La Crosse/Onalaska, Kenosha, Milwaukee and Oconomowoc.
A Miracle League is not about competition. It’s about relationships and being part of a team, often for the first time.
Our player-buddy relationships last for the season and often beyond, and are the heart of the Miracle League. It’s heartwarming for the families and friends of our players to see how their children develop those friendships with their buddies.
STATUS REPORT
Our steering committee, building awareness team (BAT) and capital campaign committee have developed the volunteer organization and organizing construction of our Eau Claire facility. We had six teams and 75 players in our 2017 inaugural season, and grew to eight teams and more than 110 players in our 2018 season!
Two important steps have been achieved: Registering The Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley with the national Miracle League and becoming a program of Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin (NCW) so that we have an instant nonprofit structure and home, and are fully ready to accept donations.
Our field and facility are at Eau Claire’s Jeffers Park, also the home to Eau Claire National Little League Baseball and Eau Claire Fastpitch Softball programs.
A $525,000 capital campaign funded construction of our specially equipped field at Jeffers Road Park, owned by the City of Eau Claire. The facility was opened and dedicated June 3, 2017. To make a financial donation to help with our ongoing operational costs, click here.
Goodwill NCW is our 501(c)(3) program home and has made a lead-off gift of $100,000 toward field construction.
We’re always looking to add more players and buddies, enlist program sponsors, and create a strong, sustainable organization that serves the greater Chippewa Valley.
If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley steering committee chair Amy Standiford at astandiford@goodwillncw.org or steering committee vice-chair Tim Wavrunek at tim@eccrjp.org.
Join our mailing list to stay up-to-date on our program’s growth and opportunities!