Riverside Miracle Park project will soon be 'shaking the bushes' for donations

Steering committee members of the Riverside Minor Baseball Association's Miracle Park project may soon be knocking on your door asking for donations.

"We're going to be out there shaking the bushes the same way they did somewhat when the old Riverside Arena was built," said Bill Kell, co-chair of the Riverside Miracle Park and chairman of the Riverside Sports Centre.

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So far, $750,000 has been raised but the committee has to come up with $2.2 million, so they are seeking corporate sponsors and individual donations.

The miracle park is an accessible baseball field that will be part of a new complex on the site of the former Riverside Arena.

The Town of Amherstburg has had a miracle field since 2011. City council gave approval for the Riverside park in September.

"We are now in the stage of design," said Kell. "We have an engineering firm that is doing the design and architecture for us."

Steering committee member Tom Laporte said it's important for special needs kids to be able to play baseball too.

"They don't want to feel like they're different. They want to know that they're part and parcel of everyday life and that's how we want to treat them, " said Laporte, adding the miracle league will be part of the regular RMBA program.

The committee hopes to have shovels in the ground by April or May 2018 and the park complete by next fall. It will also include an accessible playground and a track around the perimeter of the park.

The cenotaph now located in front of the Riverside swimming pool will be moved to its former location closer to Wyandotte street.