Participants at the Fayette County Field of Hope on Opening Day, October 2004 - photo by Rob Felt

Making A Difference For The Kids

By Kathleen Allardyce

There are a lot of people working together to make a difference for kids in our area. Two prime examples of the results of those efforts are the Field of Hope in Fayette County, and Keith Brooking Children's Foundation, based in Coweta.

"Imagine an afternoon baseball game. A player hits the ball and heads for first base. Imagine teammates cheering. Now imagine the player is in a wheelchair." That's how the Field of Hope's information sheet starts. It's quite a picture.

The only problem is that until now, it's been tough to make it a reality. Standard Little League fields present many hazards for a kid in a wheelchair. It's difficult to head for first base when your wheels keep getting stuck in the dirt baseline. Or your walker. If the field is uneven, there's the challenge of negotiating the hills and valleys. And, if the ball takes a strange hop on a lump of dirt, kids could be hit in the face if they couldn't react quickly enough.

In October, 2004, that situation changed for the disabled children in a 12-county area that includes Fayette, Fulton, Meriwether, Coweta, Henry, Clayton, Carroll, Spaulding, Douglas, Muscogee, Troup and Harris.

It all started in June, 2000 with Major Nick Harris, who is the founder and President of Field of Hope, Inc., a non-profit organization. Nick is also the state and local Challenger Division Little League Commissioner. And, he has a 14-year old son, Ethan, with Down syndrome.

The Field of Hope is specially constructed to allow players with wheelchairs or walkers to participate - photo by Rob Felt

According to Nick, "Our Field of Hope is a custom-designed venue, which incorporates a cushioned synthetic turf that accommodates children with a variety of disabilities, while helping to prevent injuries and making a ball field totally accessible to these athletes." You may think that the field doesn't get much use, but you'd be wrong. There are more than 30,000 children with disabilities who have the potential to play Challenger Division Little League Baseball at this site.

To realize this dream, Nick's challenge was to find a site and raise the money required to build the field. The City Council of Peachtree City donated the land to the Challenger League. Then, Nick went to work to raise the funds. He received an excellent response from large corporations and small businesses. "Everyone that has supported this project did it in a selfless manner. They were not looking for recognition. They did it to help make the dream a reality," Nick says of his supporters.

Nick is also understandably proud of the fact that no money was borrowed to raise the required $720,000. Through hard work and outstanding support from the local communities, the funds were raised through grants, corporate donations and the provision of in-kind services.

Nick first sought backing from the Peachtree City Rotary Club. The group took up the cause as its Rotary Centennial Project by contributing $60,000 through donations and collections. Even more importantly, it provided initial support and started the ball rolling.

Peachtree City Rotary Club President Tom Rolka explains, "We organized the Southern Crescent Rotary Clubs to provide support. Other organizations and individuals stepped in and contributed very generously, but we were honored to spearhead the funding effort for the Field of Hope."

The future for the Field of Hope looks bright. Nick is taking a well-deserved rest to enjoy the fruits of his labors. And, the kids are playing baseball in a safe, supporting and empowered environment. They are developing strong and healthy relationships with their peers. If they are over 16, the kids have the opportunity to work in the concession stand, proving them to be the contributing citizens that they are. And, the community is learning a lot about the true nature of kids with disabilities. It's a satisfying and enlightening experience for all concerned.

If you are interested in having a child with a disability play baseball, call Nick Harris at 770-486-9277, or send an e-mail to: parentme@bellsouth.net.

 

Participants at the Fayette County Field of Hope on Opening Day, October 2004 - photo by Rob Felt

The Keith Brooking Children's Foundation

Now, imagine an afternoon football game. An award-winning linebacker makes one of his famous tackles. Imagine the crowd cheering. Well, actually, you don't have to imagine. You could just go to an Atlanta Falcons game and watch Keith Brooking work his magic on the field. But, did you know that Keith is working his magic off the field, too?

In 2004, Keith established The Keith Brooking Children's Foundation, and there are no fumbles in this project. In the early months of the year, he hired an Executive Director for his non-profit organization, established a board of directors and a volunteer base of 35 individuals. Keith spent the off-season raising awareness of the Foundation by visiting local schools, foster homes, Boys and Girls Clubs, summer camps, and businesses. And, he presented an 8-passenger van to the Angel's House, an emergency children's shelter.

Not a bad start for a football player who hasn't even reached his 30th birthday. "Keith has dreamed of establishing a foundation for children since he began his career with the NFL," according to Executive Director, Gina Weathersby. "He is a big believer in 'giving back'."

Keith's mother is a foster parent in Coweta County. Keith witnessed his mother's kindness and compassion toward foster children throughout his childhood, and he developed a special place in his heart for children. The Foundation's mission is to serve foster children and the agencies that serve and support them throughout the metro Atlanta area. The Foundation strives to promote positive values through uniquely-designed programs that encourage education, good health and self worth.

By its fifth year, it is projected that the Foundation will present more than $250,000 to non-profit agencies, local schools, health and fitness programs, children in foster care and their families, and emergency shelters for children. And, there is little doubt those goals will be met.

For example, in March of 2004, the Foundation team started planning The Keith Brooking Great Tailgate Kick-Off. "The event was held on July 10, 2004 at the Newnan-Coweta Airport, and was a huge success," says Gina. "We also partnered with The Georgia Transplant Foundation in July and held a second event at the Georgia Tech Conference Center that raised over $100,000 to be shared by both foundations."

And recently, Bill Heard Chevrolet of Union City signed on as the Foundation's presenting sponsor.

Gina is extremely proud of the great strides that have been made in a short amount of time. She attributes much of that success to the Foundation's Board: "Keith wanted to enlist the support of those he believed would share the same compassion and genuine concern for children. The progress we have made as a result of the dedication by our board members is the accomplishment I am most proud of."

The next project on the agenda is Locker 56. This program provides athletic shoes for children, if their parents or guardians cannot afford to provide them. If you are interested in supporting The Keith Brooking Children's Foundation, or if you know a child who could benefit from participating in Foundation activities, visit the website www.KeithBrookingFoundation.com, call Gina Weathersby at 770-683-4377, or e-mail gweathersby@numail.org.

There are, of course, other outstanding programs in the area dedicated to helping children. The Fayette Youth Protection Homes have two group homes for neglected and abused children in Fayette County. For information, contact Executive Director Becky Davenport at 770-461-7920. In Coweta County, Angel's House is the Newnan Coweta Children's Shelter. Contact them at 770-251-7050 or visit www.theangelshouse.org.

 

Cuddly Cops

For several years, the Peachtree City Police Department has been collecting donated Teddy Bears from private citizens, civic groups and local scouting programs. The bears are then given to local children who are victims of traumas such as car accidents and family violence. The program is an extremely positive and popular outreach to the citizens.

Cpl Kay Trotman and Lt David Lamb cuddle some of the donated Teddy Bears.

Photo by Marie Liang Schlosser