SALISBURY, MD – Construction of Field 7 ½ began this week at Wicomico County’s Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex in Salisbury.
Located between existing fields 7 and 8 at the complex, Field 7 ½ is designed to provide individuals with physical or mental disabilities the opportunity to play the sport of baseball.
The field should be playable in April. Officials are hoping to announce an opening day in the coming weeks.
Field 7 ½ will serve as a host facility for Challenger Little League on the Eastern Shore. Wicomico County’s Recreation department plans to offer adaptive Wiffle ball and drop-in bocce ball at the field in the spring. All of these programs will be offered at no cost to participants.
The capital campaign for this project kicked off in mid-August with a goal of $400,000. Since then, businesses and private donors have committed over $280,000. Additional funding came from Wicomico County and a grant from the State of Maryland’s Project Open Space.
Donations for this initiative are still being accepted. As more funds are collected, the opportunities to enhance the field’s amenities increase. Officials hope to phase in an inclusive playground and a sensory trail.
To further support fundraising efforts, Wicomico County’s Friends of Recreation & Parks will host a Suitcase Party benefiting the project at the Wicomico Civic Center on Friday, April 3.
The Suitcase Party is an event where guests arrive with their bags packed with the hopes of winning the grand prize – an immediate trip from the party to Atlanta, Georgia, on a private jet to attend the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four.
Tickets to the Suitcase Party include raffle entries, heavy appetizers, beer and wine, and live entertainment. Additional raffle prizes include trips to Lancaster, Williamsburg, New York City, Ocean City and the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay.
Tickets are on sale online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org and at the Wicomico Civic Center box office (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.).
To learn more about Field 7 ½, visit www.WicomicoRecandParks.org.
