Today, Pirates Charities joined the Miracle League of Moon Township for a special check presentation and Halloween event at People’s Park Miracle League Field. Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting was on hand to pledge the support of Pirates Charities to assist in the completion of the park’s adaptive playground. The event is part of Pirates Charities continual commitment to support Miracle League organizations in the communities in which the team has a presence. 

 In 2018 Pirates Charities donated $150,000 to the Moon Miracle League project and joined with many community partners for a groundbreaking event on the Miracle League Field and park. The project is designed to promote inclusive, healthy environments for persons living with disabilities in Moon Township and the surrounding communities.

 Construction of the project was scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2019 and include a Miracle League athletic field for athletes with special needs; a 9,500 square foot custom, adaptive playground; and a fully ADA accessible restroom facility.

 The COVID-19 pandemic delayed construction and, in turn, a lack of funding prevented the completion of the adaptive playground. Today, Pirates Charities donated an additional $50,000 to the project to ensure area residents have a safe and fun area to play.

 “Today’s event is another example of our commitment to ensure the Miracle League programs throughout our area have the resources they need to foster an environment where all children and adults have a chance to develop relationships around the game of baseball,” Nutting said. “We are proud to partner with the Miracle League of Moon Township to create an inclusive play area that will ensure that every child in our community has a safe and healthy place to play.” 

 In addition, during the morning visit, the Pirates joined the Moon Miracle League for their last day of the fall season and hosted a Halloween-themed trick-or-treat event for those in attendance. The event, complete with Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating around the bases took place following the morning’s game. 

 The field, which is the seventh in the tri-state region in which Pirates Charities has played a vital role in constructing, allows persons with special needs to realize their dream of playing baseball, many of them for the very first time. As important, children and adults will now have the opportunity to develop relationships with their peers and coaches while playing on their very own field. 

 Each Miracle League Field supported by Pirates Charities is made of a synthetic surface with no raised areas, to make it possible for children and adults in wheelchairs and walkers to safely move about the field. The fields feature accessible dugouts as well as new electronic scoreboards. 

 Located in Moon Park, the Miracle League Field will complement the existing Miracle League fields in the Pittsburgh region and focus on players from areas such as Montour, West Allegheny, Moon, Sewickley, Weirton, Steubenville, Beaver County and surrounding communities.

 Since 2009, Pirates Charities has donated more than $1.3 Million in support of 10 Miracle Leagues throughout the areas in which the team has a footprint. Pirates Charities has played a vital role in the construction of seven Miracle League Fields, including the region’s first field in Cranberry Township, Pa. Since 2009, fields in Upper St. Clair, Murrysville, Indiana County, Wheeling, WV, DuBois and in the Pirates spring home in Bradenton, Fla have been opened and are operational today.

 For more information on the Miracle League of Moon Township, including project updates and fundraising information, visit miraclesinmoon.org.