2018 update on the park's progress

2018 update

In early 2018, we seemed to be moving quickly and released the following info:

Phase One, in addition to infrastructure improvements, will include a “miracle” baseball field which will be custom-designed to help prevent injuries. The rubberized turf fields accommodate wheelchairs and other assertive devices. A playground is also part of the first phase which has an overall budget of approximately $1.775 million, including the $550,000 from the City’s share of accommodations taxes used to encourage tourism. The Foundation is raising the remaining $1.225 million. It is projected that funds will be in place for the park to be under construction by Summer 2018.

Future phases of the park are expected to include another baseball field, multipurpose fields, walking trails, shelters, additional parking and retail space, such as a coffee shop, to employ people with disabilities.

Rock Hill Miracle Park Leadership Team: Warren Norman, chair; Kennedi Christopher, Jamey Dagenhart, Alice Davis, Freddy Faircloth, Sig Huitt, J. Robert Hyman, Mary Poole, Mark Sexton, Michelle Shaffer, John Taylor and David Williams.

In April we saw an updated site plan and realized that a summer date for phase 1 was not going to happen. We were still waiting the approval of the State of SC since Winthrop's land is state property.

Also in the beginning of 2018, we started to reach out to major donors and got some big commitments early on, showing the community's support and passion for our developing park:

After these big players committed a total of nearly $2,000,000, we had more come on board, including our first two third-party fundraisers that committed to raising money during the fall of 2018!

The Junior Welfare League raised $80,000 in the fall of 2008!!!!!

May 2008 Renderings!  

After this plan was first talked about during a Kiwanis meeting in the Palmetto Room, it started to hit the news. This story aired on Charlotte station WBTV.
WBTV story

Scott Cunningham and others pitched a playground idea to us and we chose Gametime and Scott Cunningham to complete our project!  The first images show the rectangle shape, 100 feet long!

Since we were getting close to starting our project, we had some "Coming Soon" signs created. We were getting ready to go!


In June we talked with Bruce Brumfield of Founders Federal Credit Union.  He had quite the story of the experience of what it was like to be in a wheelchair just last year.  He knows the need for this and they committed $500,000!  We added them to the list of donors!

David and Alice visited the Myrtle Beach Miracle Field and Savannah's Playground in the summer of 2008. While there, we met with Gary Schaal who is a past president of the PGA!  They are creating a golf project in Myrtle Beach to serve veterans and those who are disabled. We hope to have some sort of partnership one day.

June 2019

Upon viewing the site, it was determined that a low-lying area had to be avoided, so the playground lost a corner and we had a new site plan!

In July we had the first draft of the agreements ready for the City and Winthrop to sign.  Warren was creating our first budget and we started talking about hiring an Executive Director to coordinate all the moving pieces and do more fundraising for us. There was talk of the fields being larger to hold games for older kids like at Cherry Park with PRT; what the donor wall area should look like; how a golf piece could be a part of the project, etc. Smaller donors started coming in...things were rolling!

In August of 2008 we received the first renderings of what the buildings might look like!

We began conversations about getting a mascot for the park and considered using Booker the Baseball from Warren Norman's Baxter's Bunch series,but after discussion with the Foundation Board, we decided it would be best to probably wait on that.

Fall 2018

- Website was created by JEWEL; brochures were printed; downpayment was made on a mascot. Teachers in Rock Hill Schools were made aware of the project;  Leslie Pursley and Tara Parks stepped up to help us by serving as a link for the teachers. We spoke with the Special Services Associate Superintendents as well.

The first box of T-shirts were ordered and folks loved getting them to wear around town!

In October we got word that the Springs-Close Foundation and family members were committing $500,000!  We are rolling with donations coming in from individuals, too!

We also heard from Warren Norman Company that they are not only donating the development piece of the project but are also committed to donating $250,000!  We are beyond blessed!

As 2018 ended, we were waiting on approval from Winthrop  on the contract for the use of their land and interviewed applicants for the Executive Director position, which will be around 25 hours a week, part-time.