Miracle League of Florence County earns 2025 Marion Medallion

In the fall of 2014, a group of people got together to ensure their children and others with physical and mental challenges had a chance to do what just about every other kid in America gets to do – play baseball.

And thus, the Miracle League of Florence County was born.

The League was awarded the Marion Medallion on Thursday morning in a ceremony at Francis Marion University’s Performing Arts Center.

The Miracle League of Florence County is a baseball program where the differently abled can play with a parent or buddy on a field designed for them to walk, run or roll on.

Everyone gets a hit and everyone scores.

When games are over, everyone gets a hotdog lunch.

Well, that’s how things are now.

When the league first started, it played on a regular baseball field, first at Greenwood and then the next season at Savannah Grove, which had a better field for rolling.

Faced with a field that wasn’t all-weather friendly, the league approached the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation as well as the Betty S. Campbell Foundation for help and, in the fall of 2017, they cut the ribbon on their purpose-built, all-weather Miracle League field at Greenwood Athletic Park.

“We worked hard for that one,” said Vickie Elliott, a long-time board member.

“I know everybody’s like ‘Y’all have been blessed.’ We truly have,” she said.

Through grants and fundraisers, the league has added a concession stand, an all-access playground and a second baseball field that can serve as a soccer field, should there be a need for it in the future.

This year’s annual oyster roast fundraiser raised more than $100,000 after expenses – enough to allow the league to build a much larger concession stand with bathrooms.

The current stand is too small to accommodate the need and offers single-occupancy bathrooms. Also, the hotdog lunch bags are currently prepared outside the concession stand.

“This is probably our one shot of doing this right. We’re thinking of all the things we will need in there,” Elliott said.

Board members and other supporters have enough experience working out of booster-club concession stands that they know exactly what they want and need, Elliott said.

A growing need

The League has grown every year since its inception. It draws players from the Florence area and surrounding counties that lack such a program.

Registration for the spring season wraps up Thursday, Feb. 27, Elliott said.

“We’ve grown every year. Last spring and fall we averaged 250 athletes,” she said.

The extra field allows the League to play more games at night, which has allowed it to cut out Saturday games so families can take care of their needs. Fewer people participated on Saturdays.

Florence County is one of the few locations in the country that can boast more than one field.

The field will also allow the League to grow into more teams.

“Adding teams will depend on registration. Right now our teams are really full. We don’t want more players on the team,” Elliott said.

To grow two teams, she said the league will need to design and make two more jerseys and find four sponsors (two for each team). Elliott said the League has been blessed to never struggle to find and keep sponsors.

A community effort

On any given game day, the field is packed with players, League supporters and baseball buddies.

Elliott said FMU’s softball team and Florence-Darlington Technical College’s baseball team are free with their time and turn out to play with the athletes.

Florence Christian also contributes many buddies, she said.

The buddies give parents an hour where they can sit on the bleachers and watch, talk with other parents or just enjoy a hotdog and chips while watching their athletes have fun.

“Our main focus is to give them an hour of no stress, no judgment and just give them a good time,” Elliott said of the games.

Being a baseball buddy is a learning experience for the athletes, who frequently get a pep talk from husband Kevin Elliott, a board member and former baseball coach.

“It’s not just about baseball. It’s teaching them to be better men and women and be kind. This world is not kind anymore,” Elliott said.

All about the athletes

Elliott said she tries to keep the athletes on the same team throughout their career so they can build and enjoy friendships.

Not all the athletes are kids.

“Mr. Delbert was our oldest as of last spring. 83. Our youngest is 3, since they can sign up at 3,” Elliott said.

Some of the athletes are physically challenged, some mentally. Some use a wheelchair, while others can walk and run. Players hit the ball off a T or swing at coach-pitched balls. Some of the more physically abled have hit the ball out of the park.

Once hit, supporters throw or roll multiple balls into the infield and outfield to give defenders the chance to field the ball.

March 22, opening day

Opening day will feature a parade of teams along with a series of one-inning games (the regular games are three innings).

Elliott said the League is always looking for volunteers with a calling to serve.

If that’s not your thing, she said spectators are always welcome in the bleachers to cheer on the players.

“Everybody says our chili is like the best,” she said of the Miracle League hotdogs.

This article was written by Matt Robertson of the Morning News and is published by permission. The original article appears on SCNow.com.