eSpecially Ben

Today, our family attended the Miracle Field Home Plate Dedication for the new field being built at the University YMCA, just 15 minutes from our home. The photo shows the beginnings of a field complete with cardboard cut outs of players. (The back loader is real.) After many speakers (in 95 degree heat) the home plate was set in place, and then we were served the proper baseball meal - hot dogs, Cracker Jacks, Babe Ruth chocolate bars and chips. The field will be made of a hard rubber surface, perfect for wheelchairs and walkers. Games last about an hour, with just 2 innings played (I said a silent thank you when I heard that.). Each player has a buddy who is at least 12 years old. All players get to bat and it seems that the last batter always gets a home run. The focus is on meeting other families and making friends - baseball is just the medium. Homer, the mascot for the Charlotte Knights Baseball Team, was in attendance. The team's owner, Bill Allen, has a strong

Rainbow Express is sponsored by a local church. I do not know how long they have been sponsoring this camp, but the model they use works. Each camper (special needs child) has a buddy (typical developing child, same age as camper) and a teenage counselor . They spend the week together playing, worshipping and becoming friends. Each day is jam-packed with arts & crafts, park visits, dancing, singing and always ends with a custom-made puppet show. Roughly 75 campers participate - so this is no small group. The youth of this church plan and execute this camp. They spend a large portion of their year planning for this week. Although adults volunteer and help during the week, the majority of the program is completed by the youth. The theme this year was "Be Strong," taken from Ephesians 6:10, "Be strong in the Lord and His great power." The entire church was turned into a castle. The week is always a reunion - everyone wants to see their past camper, budd

Will post more photos later but wanted to get this out tonight. Ben's counselor sent this to me. It was taken right after he went down one of the big inflatable slides at Rainbow Camp. We may even have video of the event.