Rivermont Youth Athletic Association is hosting a Fourth of July fundraiser to raise awareness of its Dream League teams, a special baseball league dedicated to players with physical and mental disabilities – and to support the start of a new Dream League division in Soddy-Daisy.
Sam Reeves, a player and coach for the organization, said the ultimate goal is to take the league nationwide, but the first step is to start spreading out locally. So far, Rivermont is the only host site.
The Dream League was founded for baseball players with special needs to develop their skills and love for the game. The league currently has four teams: the Wonders, Wildcats, Braves and Reds. The teams play against each other on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the spring and fall seasons.
There isn’t a specific age range in order to sign up. This past season, the youngest player was 5, the oldest was 52.
The league never turns a player away, even if they can’t afford the $60 registration fee, Reeves said.
Players and parents rave about how fun and inclusive the league is.
“It’s been a delight for me to go to the games and share in the family experience,” said Donna Adkins, a grandmother of two boys, one with autism and the other with cerebral palsy, both of whom are members of the league.
Money raised at the fundraiser will be put toward future league events and team expenses such as new equipment, as well as construction to make the Soddy-Daisy ballfields more handicap-accessible with ramps and special dugouts that can suit the needs of any player, said League Commissioner Dave Dake.
During the fundraiser, representatives of the league will be selling hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks, and provide a place for parents to mingle and ask any questions they have about the league.
The event is being held at Soddy Daisy Municipal Park off Dayton Pike, next to Soddy Lake, in conjunction with the city’s Fourth of July celebration. The fundraiser starts at 10 a.m., though activities tied to the celebration begin at 9 a.m.
For more information about the Dream League, visit the Rivermont Youth Athletics Association’s Facebook page or rivermontyaa.org.