Second Annual Casino Night!

It's baaaack!  Miracle League of MA's ever-popular Casino Night is back for its second year! A night filled with laughing, gambling, bidding, and meeting new friends will ensue on the last Saturday this month. Tickets include chips to get you started for the night, access to the open bar, and hors d'oeuvres galore.  We'll have a live auction and tons of raffles.  The prize list is always growing but some of the top items include Bruins tickets and the Sam Adams Bucket of Cheer and Beer for a Year!

UPDATE: New prizes have been added!

Prize list:

• A Bruins stick signed by the entire 2013 team! (Donated by the B's) Thanks guys!
• "Breakfast with Toucher & Rich/ 98.5 The Sports Hub Studio Tour" for the winner and one guest. Sit in on the show, breakfast included, then get a private "behind-the-scenes" tour of the studio by Rich himself! (Donated by The Sports Hub) Thanks 98.5!
• Red Sox EMC Club tickets with parking (Donated by Greene Construction) Thank you!
• Wine Tasting for up to 12 people (Donated by the Koehlers) Thank you Koehler family!
• Fishing Charter or Cocktail Cruise for up to 4 people (Donated by Mr. Zaleski) Thanks Stephen!
• Weekend Getaway to the Westin Waterfront in Boston with a gift certificate to the Capital Grille (Donated by Starwood Hotels and the Koehlers) Thank you!

Who? You, and everyone you know! You're all invited. And you'll be sad if you miss it! So purchase your tickets now!

What? Miracle League of MA's Second Annual Casino Night, AKA the best night ever! Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

Where? The Chelmsford Elks Club

When? March 30th, that's a Saturday, at 7 pm.

Why? To raise money for the League, all the funds will go directly to the children of MLM. We just built a new field of dreams this past year and are looking to add bleachers and other enhancements in the near future. Find out more about the work your money does on our website.

How? By going to our ticket website. But if you're still not sure, check our events page.

We hope to see you there!

Help Make Dreams Reality

Thank you!  All of you! All of our supporters! Because of you 2012 was a major success!  We held our first 5K, our first family fun day, and, with your help, built the first handicap-accessible field in the state, our field of dreams!  Fall marked our first season there, and boy was it a blast!

It's Giving Time

It's that time of year again!  Time to spread the love!  Whether you're looking to donate to a local non-profit or just trying to finish your holiday shopping online, you should consider us, the Miracle League of Massachusetts. Every penny goes straight to our players and the game!  We provide children of all ages with the chance to play baseball, at no cost to their families.  Furthermore, with your help in past years, we were able to raise enough money to build our own miracle field!

We've called it a wrap on 2012, but you can check us out in Acton this Spring! Stay tuned for dates and times.

To donate directly to our organization, check out our website! Checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 524 in Acton, MA 01720.

Just finishing your online holiday shopping?! How about doing some good while you browse!  You can donate to us without adding a penny to your online orders.  Just shop through GoodSearch.  Type in "Miracle League of Massachusetts" and add your email.  Then, proceed with your online shopping right through the GoodSearch website.  A portion of your order will be donated directly to us.  And GoodSearch has a ton of vendors to choose from like Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, and so much more! You can do this all year, but why not get started now!?

Get To Know...Buddy Cherie

If you've been to Miracle League a thousand times or just once, you know Cherie. She greets everyone with an infectious smile!

Cherie graduated from Wentworth with a degree in Interior Design and now works in Boston. However, she grew up in Acton, graduating from ABRHS, and still lives nearby in West Acton. There are many reasons Cherie makes a great buddy; her softball skills (from college), her sincere upbeat attitude, her nurturing nature (she's the big sister to a brother and two sisters), and so much more. Let's get to know one of our absolute favorite buddies...Cherie!

Player Profile: Patrick

Perhaps half baseball star and half fish, when Patrick is off the field, he's in the water. A lover of swimming, he spends a lot of time at two his favorite places, the "W" lakes, Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam. You could also catch him riding the waves along the coast of Rhode Island! But alas, we gill-less humans must spend some time on land, and so it goes for Patrick. The 15-year-old goes to CASE Collaborative and spends his land time listening to music, especially XM Radio, going to Classic Car Shows, riding his bike with friends, and watching and playing any and every sport you can think of!

Thank You!

Just wanted to send a huge thank you to everyone who helped make our Father's Day Funfest and 5K a  major success.  From the vendors, to the volunteers, the bakers, to those brave enough to sit in the dunk tank, the runners, the donors, and those of you who managed to venture to NARA Park, the site of our future field, we couldn't have done it without you.  With your help, we raised $10,000 towards the Miracle Field.  To see a live tally of the dollars raised and needed to make our field happen, check out our website.  If you missed the Funfest, but would like to donate, check here.  And, if you'd like to leave your mark on our future field, you can find a brick buying donor form here.

Check out the fantastic article by Acton Patch here!

Player Profile: Henry

"Hammering Hank" is what Rich calls him as he knocks the ball out of the park each game day. Henry, who attends each and every game, is a first grader at Davis School in Bedford (where his classmates include girlfriends Lily and Abigail)! Our resident flirt, Henry spends his weekdays charming his teachers at school. When he's not in school or rounding the bases at MLM, he can often be found out on runs with Dad. In the last year, he's participated in two half marathons, several 5k's, and most recently the Boston Marathon. While Andy does the running, Henry clears the way with a a lot of cheerful "hello's," and a gentle "get out of the way" here or there. It should come as no surprise that Henry loves music, playing games and reading stories on the iPad.

Inaugural Miracle League Poker Run to Benefit MLM

The Inaugural Miracle League Poker Run is approaching. Join fellow bikers on May 19 to raise money, awareness, and appreciation for Miracle League of MA. The run begins at 11 AM, at the current site of MLM games, and will run through 5 PM, with a stop at the future home of Miracle League of Massachusetts. Other stops are TBD.

Who? Any and all riders. $20 per rider, $15 per passenger.

What? The Inaugural Miracle League Poker Run to benefit the kids of Miracle League.

Where? Begins at Blanchard Elementary School.

When? May 19. Registration is from 9-11, when participants are invited and encouraged to watch a Miracle League Game. The run wraps up around 5 PM.

Why? To benefit the amazing (and amazingly cute) children of Miracle League of MA. Help us build the field of our dreams! Check out more here.

To join the run, be sure to arrive between 9-11 at Blanchard Elementary school on May 19. Question? Contact Brian, the event organizer, at miraclepokerrun@hotmail.com.

To get involved with MLM, see our buddy forms or email us.

Thanks for being a part of our future!

Get To Know...Buddy Andrew

Andrew is in his final semester as an MBA candidate at UMass Boston. Despite having a hectic schedule, this full-time student manages to fit his favorite hobbies in. From sailing to skiing to fishing, he loves to relax and unwind in the outdoors. When the weekend hits, Andrew loves heading to Miracle League to meet his new buddy each week. when he's not playing catch with one of our wonderful players, he's engaging in one of his favorite hobbies: home-brewing (hence his favorite site listed below). He makes his own beer and has been doing so for just over a year now. Let's get to know buddy Andrew.

Player Profile: Justin M.

Justin is a sixth grader at Sanborn Middle School. And, on weekends in the Spring and Fall, he's the greatest National Anthem singer we've ever heard! When he's not playing with us at Miracle League or learning at school, Justin is very active. He swims, skis, and is quite the collector. He collects coins, as well as snow globes.

Last year, Justin completed the Chicago Marathon alongside some of his greatest friends. Justin described the experience as "fun but rough because of temperature change. One hour I'd be freezing cold and the next I'd be burning." His favorite part was "going along Lake Shore Drive.". He sums up the experience by thanking his team and expressing joy for the post-race celebration. "I was very thankful to my team, Triumph, for providing a special chair. In the end it was very exciting to get a medal.". Read an article on Justin's experience here. And, find out more about him below!

Get to Know...Buddy Meg

Meg is one of our favorite volunteers. She's been with the League through two wonderful seasons. When she's not on the field, she attends Acton Boxborough Regional High School where she's a sophomore. This super active buddy is also a standout athlete on her field hockey and softball teams. And when she wants to wind down, she spends time at her vacation home on the Cape! Let's get to know buddy Meg!

Check It Out! We're In The News Again!

Check out this fantastic coverage of our new field by Acton Patch Editor Patrick Clark.

For more information on our field of dreams, check out the pictures below and here.  Read more on our website.  See how far we've come with our fundraising, via our live campaign tracker!

Check Out Our New PSA!

And the local media attention its receiving!

Sign-ups are available!

It's that time again! We're just a few months from reuniting and nothing could feel better!  Finally we get to see all those smiling faces, both from players and buddies!  We don't know about you, but we couldn't be more excited to see our friends, feel that sunshine, and play some ball! We hope that every single one of you from last year will be returning! And, we hope to add a few beautiful faces to the field! We could always use another homerun champion, star pitcher, or fantastic fielder!  Sign-ups for players are officially posted.  Registration closes March 24.  So, sign up now and enjoy a season full of fun, friends, great baseball, and even greater memories!  To find out more, check out our website!

Third Annual Bowling Party!

Finally, we're all hoping for strikes! We've got a bowling date set up for March 3rd, with spots still available. The event is free and includes one game, shoe rentals, pizza and drinks. (Ain't no party like an MLM party!) Interested? Email Lauren at miracleleagueofma@yahoo.com.

Who? Our MLM family

What? The 3rd Annual Bowling Party

Where? Bowladrome in Acton

When? March 3rd at noon

Why? Because we haven't seen each other in a while, we need to catch up, we love getting together with friends (stop us now, this list could go on forever!)

Please remember that spots are limited, so you need to email Lauren (miracleleagueofma@gmail.com) to reserve one. We hope to see you there!

Player Profile: Josh D

We know Josh for playing the meanest air guitar this side of the Mississippi! But, when he's not rocking it, or hitting homers at our ML games, Josh is a 15-year-old sophomore at North Andover High School. He spends his free time playing basketball, riding his Green Machine, listening to music (a lot!), and hanging with family and friends. He absolutely loves Miracle League and we absolutely love him!

Get To Know...Coach Steve

We know him as fun-loving Coach Steve, who assigns us to our players or buddies each week and coaches us in our positions and at bat. You also might notice him slinking about the field, taking some of the best pictures a baseball league has ever seen (your baseball cards were made from his stunning pictures!). But, what you definitely notice him for is being quite the exact opposite of a belly itcher, he's one of our favorite pitchers!

But there's so much more to Coach Steve! His beautiful wife Donna has been with him for 18 years and they have two girls; Julia (11) and Sarah (9). The Northeastern U. alum grew up in Tewksbury but has lived in Maynard for the past 12 years where he works as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Winchester Schools. Ever the runner and of course naturally the photographer (was he born with a camera in that hand?), Steve, Coach Steve, is one of MLM's best assets! (And, he's a life long Red Sox and Boston sports fan! Just the way we like our volunteers!)

Extra, Extra! Read All About It!

Just before Christmas, Elizabeth Eidlitz of Metrowest Daily News, wrote a beautiful article on the wonderful world of MLM. Check out the coverage here!

Donate for These Smiling Faces

Looking to donate to a worthwhile organization where you know your money will go to good use? As the year comes to a close, and the holidays are quickly aproaching, please consider reaching into your pockets and donating to Miracle League of MA.  Donations will go directly to buliding a turf field for our amazing players to use all season long!  To find out more about our organiztion, our field of dreams, and how the fundraising effort is going, check out our website.

To donate directly to the Miracle League of Massachusetts with your credit card, click on the PayPal link. (You do not need a PayPal account to donate online, just a credit card.)

Checks can be mailed to:
Miracle League of Massachusetts
PO Box 524
Acton, MA 01720

 

Online donations are guaranteed secure.  You can also donate through our website!

Resolutions for 2012

The holiday season is officially here. Some of us are experiencing icy roads and some of us are experiencing what New Englanders refer to as shorts weather. But certainly what we are all experiencing is that holiday spirit. A sense of togetherness, kindness, and merriment takes over towards the end of the year! Then, we get to start fresh, making resolutions for the year to come. Want to get healthier, run a marathon, read a book, quit smoking? Now is the time! What are your resolutions for 2012?

Our New Year's resolution is to be the best blog ever! But to do that, we need your help! Beginning the first week of 2012, we want to have a feature post every week until the start of the Spring season! We want to focus on all of our Miracle Leaguers; volunteers and players! If you or your child would like to be featured, please email us specifying whether you are a player or volunteer.

Wishing you the best this Holiday season! Be sure to share your resolutions below!

Happy holidays to all!