Community Corner
Sunshine Ballpark Opens For Special Needs Children
Special needs children in the Fredericksburg area now have their own baseball field. Sunshine Park opened Saturday, a field made possible through donations.
When Tyler Russo hit the baseball, he ran to his mother instead of first base because he was so excited.
Russo was playing baseball at Sunshine Ballpark on Ability Field on Saturday, the first time a game has been played on the green artificial turf field with the Challenger League, which is an organization for special-needs children. There are two baseball diamonds in the park and there will be a third field and playground coming later.
"I love it," said Tyler's mother, Jennifer Russo. "I think it's awesome. It is perfect for them."
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Donations from Doris Buffett, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, local residents and businesses helped make this ballpark a reality, said Debby Girvan, a member of the executive board of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation board of trustees.
"The ballpark was named Sunshine Ballpark in honor of Doris Buffett's Sunshine Lady Foundation," Girvan said.
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The ballpark is on Wicklow Drive, off of Fall Hill Avenue. A grand opening event is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, May 16.
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