Madison Miracle League Facility Hopes To Be “Shining” Location
MADISON- Michael McKay can be described to have a heart of gold. His personal desire to have a new facility to house the Miracle League of Madison to be more than just another locale of assisting those with special needs. “I want to do it right. I want to make this facility at Palmer Park to be a ‘shining’ location for the Miracle League,” said McKay.
The 38-year old auditor for the Missile Defense Agency the past 10 years, is also a huge supporter of the Miracle League and began volunteering for the non-profit organization to help those with disabilities when he attended the University in Alabama-Huntsville (UAH). McKay played baseball for UAH as a pitcher after playing high school baseball at Birmingham’s Homewood High School. “Yes, I did some volunteering for the Huntsville Miracle League program and really thought the entire program was cool. I also supported the special needs program in Madison City Schools.”
In November 2022, the Miracle League of Madison became one of the newest members of The Miracle League. Since that time, the citizen-based committee has been working to establish renderings, formulate cost estimates and other project essentials. Soon afterwards, the organization signed an agreement with Madison Visionary Partners (MVP) to become the fiscal sponsor of the project within the City of Madison that will remove barriers keeping the children of Madison with mental and physical disabilities off the baseball field.
“Our plan is to bring this specialized complex to Palmer Park with the intent to replace the existing fields on the upper quad,” said McKay, who himself has two children. “I’m spending much of my time giving a sales pitch to companies to raise the necessary money for the project. About $1.1-million will do it right for our program. I want our complex to be unique. To stand alone from others because our community deserves it.”
The eventual project build-out once funding is secured will then be led by the City of Madison Parks and Recreation Department.
The MVP’s primary focus is gathering philanthropic support and collaborative partnerships for community projects like the one with The Miracle League. The group’s mission focus is that of enriching the quality of life in the Madison community.
The projected facility will be compliant with the rules and regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Those wishing to get involved, ask about any donations or sponsorships can connect with the local organization by e-mail: miracleleagueofmadison@gmail.com.
