Northern CT Miracle Field Construction On Schedule, Brick Sale Begins

VERNON, CT — Construction is ahead of schedule in the efforts to build a specially designed and equipped athletic field for special needs athletes on the campus of Vernon's Northeast School.

The field will be home to the Miracle League of Northern Connecticut.

As of Tuesday morning, the dugouts and benches were in, the base of the field was down, the fences and foul poles were up and the bleachers were nearly finished. Steve Leibowitz of the Miracle League said the target of finishing before school starts should be easily met.

The artificial turf would already be installed if it were in, he said.

The field is being constructed at Northeast School by the Miracle League in partnership with the town of Vernon and the Cal Ripkin Sr. Foundation and a host of local sponsors.

Vernon officials signed off on the use of Northeast School last June and in February, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and the Miracle League of Northern Connecticut announced a partnership to put the finishing touches on the project.

More than $900,000 has been raised for the field.

The park will accommodate lacrosse, baseball and softball programs as well as soccer.

The Miracle League Youth Development Park will be a custom-made, cushioned, synthetic turf to help prevent injuries and include wheelchair-accessible dugouts and a flat, barrier free surface to provide accessibility for visually impaired players, players in wheelchairs or other assistive equipment.

There are roughly 270 adaptive fields across the country and two others in Connecticut (West Hartford and East Lyme).

On Tuesday, the Miracle League announced the sale of engraved walkway bricks to not only defray costs, but "also leave a lasting legacy for all our Miracle League players and families."

The bricks will be on sale until July 31. Bricks can feature a name, a "meaningful message," or a tribute to a loved one, officials said.

Three sizes of Bricks are available:

• 4x8 for $100
• 6x9 for $125
• 19.5 x 32.5 for $1,000

Add-ons include hearts and paw prints.

Order forms can be downloaded here and checks can be sent to the Miracle League of Northern CT, 76 S Frontage Road, Vernon, CT 06066. Any questions can be addressed through teacherleibo@gmail.com.