AMES – For more than eight months, Amber Corrieri has been on a quest to find a place for kids with disabilities to spend their summers.
“The reality is that children who have disabilities, especially those with severe disabilities don’t have the options to engage in organized athletics,” she said.
Corrieri works for Mainstream Living and is on the Ames City Council, so she’s become especially invested in this project, which would transform this soccer field at Inis Grove Park into a disability-friendly baseball field, and upgrade the playground to Miracle League standards.
Corrieri says there’s a big need in the community, with about 500 kids with disabilities currently living in Story County.
“We know that these facilities are lacking across the state, and we think the more that we can offer those to people with disabilities, I think we all win,” said Corrieri.
Projects like the current park in Ankeny are serving as a baseline for the Miracle League park concept.
With rubber turf and wheelchair ramps, the park would offer lots of opportunities to kids and their parents to play.
“A mother or a father or a grandparent, who’s in a wheelchair may have never had an experience of pushing a child down the slide and this really gives them that opportunity,” said Corrieri.
While a potential cost of $1.5 million could be a deterrent, the money will mostly come from fundraising. And Corrieri says she hopes it’ll open new doors in the community that’ll last for years to come.
“It’s about socialization and it’s about fun,” said Corrieri. “I think that every child should have the ability to play and to be in that atmosphere.”
Here’s another point to consider: the Ames city council already has made plans to upgrade the restrooms at the park. So that could potentially take about $400,000 off the tab.
