Murrysville Mayor Joyce Somers, other local officials and members of the Murrysville-Export Rotary Club got together Dec. 21 to announce plans for a 15-acre addition to Murrysville Community Park that will feature a baseball field for youth with disabilities.

A $1.5 million fund-raising campaign for the construction of Rotary Miracle Field of Murrysville is under way. The new recreation complex also will include features that all community members can enjoy, including playgrounds, basketball and bocce courts and a walking trail.

Ground-breaking for the complex is scheduled for April 2008, with a July 2009 opening date.

The field will feature a cushioned, rubberized surface that also will serve players who use wheelchairs and walkers. The pitcher's mound and bases will be flat. Dugouts and other structures will be wheelchair-accessible.

The Miracle Field and Miracle League concepts originated in 1998 among volunteers in a small community outside of Atlanta, with the core belief that "every child deserves a chance to play baseball."

According to the group's Web site, www.miracleleague.org, 80 fields and 180 leagues serve 25,000 children nationwide. One hundred additional fields, including the one in Murrysville, are planned or are under construction.

Miracle League games have special rules, such as each player gets a turn at bat in every inning.

The Murrysville project has been in development for about two years. Harold Hicks, past president of the Rotary Club of Murrysville-Export, learned about Miracle Fields from a friend, George O'Donnell, a Murrysville resident and director of Friends to Friends, a nonprofit organization that promotes sporting and social opportunities for youth with disabilities.

Mr. O'Donnell's involvement in recreation for youth with disabilities was inspired by his son, who has cerebral palsy.

At the suggestion of Mr. Hicks, the Murrysville-Export Rotary agreed to take on planning and fund-raising for the project, and to provide the lead grant of $50,000. At the time, the club had been looking for a major project in which to pour its funds and energies.

Nationally, the Rotary organization has a history with the Miracle Field concept. The inaugural Miracle Field in Rockdale County, Ga., was built with the help of its local Rotary club.

Likewise, the Murrysville-Export Rotary has a history of involvement in local recreational projects. Past projects include Haymaker Park; Townsend Park pavilion and fishing lake; the pavilion at Chambers Park; and lighting for night football games at Franklin Regional High School.

The club also has a history of supporting projects for youth and adults with disabilities. Indeed, the club's mission statement for the Miracle Field states that it will be a place "where all people are appreciated and accepted without question, and where dignity and equality are unconditionally enjoyed."

"This really became a community project," said Mr. Hicks, of Salem.

Murrysville provided the 15-acre site, with a request that the design for the complex include elements for all members of the community, especially young children and senior adults.

Conceptual drawings for the complex were donated by Astorino, a Pittsburgh architectural, engineering and design firm.

"It's a fantastic conceptual design," said Mr. Hicks.

In addition to the Miracle Field, the site will include standard baseball fields, a basketball court, two playgrounds with accessible features, a walking trail, and tournament (side-by-side) bocce courts.

The drawings include options for future development, such as a fishing pond and exercise stations on the walking trail.

North Irwin resident and community volunteer Bob Johnston heads the fund-raising campaign.

In addition to Mr. Hicks and Mr. O'Donnell, members of the fund-raising committee are Kate Cala, Nick Dorsch, Patricia Lindauer and Mike Silvert. The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County will handle the funds.

Once the complex is completed in 2009, youth from seven counties in Western Pennsylvania will be invited to join Miracle League teams.

At the time of the 2000 census, 30,000 young people 5 to 21 years old resided in these seven counties. Miracle League teams will have uniforms, special equipment and trained staff.

The project is "a great opportunity for the community to become involved," said Nick Dorsch, vice president of the Murrysville-Export Rotary and member of the fund-raising committee.

"It will be a one-of-kind place that will bring opportunities to kids in the community."

In addition to the Rotary's lead grant of $50,000, an anonymous community donor has committed $10,000.

Fund-raising plans include the sale of commemorative bricks and pavers, at $50 and $150, respectively.

For information about the project, to volunteer or to make a donation, contact Harold Hicks at 412-860-8709 or hhicks@accfirepro.com.

Donations can be mailed to Rotary Miracle Field of Murrysville, 4530 William Penn Highway, No. 198, Murrysville, Pa. 15668.

The Rotary has an immediate need for a volunteer to set up and manage a Web site for the project.