SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Miracle League NWA is hosting its big fundraiser of the year Saturday, Sept. 21 in Downtown Springdale: The Miracle League Burger Competition.
Eight local chefs will compete to see who can make the best burger, and guests can try all of them.
Proceeds from the event go toward supporting the nonprofit baseball league for kids with intellectual and physical disabilities.
“We have a barrier-free field, so it's all inclusive,” said Miracle League NWA program coordinator Marisha Gardisser. “If we have a player who's in a wheelchair, or if we have a player who has a disability with walking or running, it gives them a place to play baseball just like any kids without disabilities.”
The opportunity to play team sports has been meaningful to Dustin and Carly Dethlefs and their daughter, Vera.
“Vera, upon birth, received a diagnosis of down syndrome,” Carly Dethlefs said. “For us, I think, as a special needs parent, it's kind of heightened. You start thinking about, ‘What can they do, what can't they do?’”
Since joining Miracle League, Saturday mornings have brought a new excitement for the whole family.
“It's been awesome just to see the excitement level that Vera has waking up on Saturdays in the fall, getting to go play ball,” Dustin Dethlefs said. “This morning, when she put on the uniform, she was singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
Gardisser said many families in the league have similar stories.
“My first game here brought me to tears, because I was talking to a mom, and her son is seven … and she said that this is the first time that he had ever been able to play on a team sport before, and this was her first time to ever be able to watch him play a team sport,” Gardisser said. “That was so impactful for me. I felt like I took so much for granted as a mom, being able to just drop my son off at practice or at a game. Parents with kids with disabilities don't have that opportunity, and so being that Miracle League provides that to them is huge and so amazing.”
Gardisser said each miracle league game day is made possible by about 50 volunteers.
“Each player is paired up with a buddy to help them through the game, whether that be helping them bat, helping them run, helping them run the bases, also helping them stay safe … but also helping them learn just the basics of baseball if they are interested and able,” Gardisser said.
The Dethlefs said their whole family is involved in the experience. Their son enjoys volunteering to help with the games.
“One of his favorite things to do is he gets to pitch at the games,” Dustin said. “I think the most important thing is just seeing all the joy and the innocence that you get at these games, which is what sports should be about, especially youth sports. Seeing just the joy and excitement of the young kids, even the young adults that are involved here, it just means a lot. Everybody that leaves here, I think, leaves in a better spot.”
The Burger Competition is Miracle League NWA’s only fundraiser this year. Proceeds will go toward expenses like maintaining the Miracle League field in Springdale and buying necessary equipment and team uniforms.
The gates open at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Shiloh Square in Downtown Springdale. Admission is $15, and kids 10 and under are free. Admission allows each person to try any or all of the eight chefs’ burgers as many times as they want.
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