Anonymous donor gives $1,000,000 in support of disabled athlete program

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A generous individual helped the Rockford Park District reach its financial goal to build a permanent home for the Buddy Baseball Program.

The program pairs kids with disabilities with other kids or volunteers to introduce them to various sports.

The Buddy Baseball Program first launched in 2009, for kids ages 5-20. Today, the Park District has over a dozen Buddy Sports programs, and in 2019, All-Stars launched the same program, but for adults ages 20 and over.

Executive Director of the Rockford Park District Jay Sandine said the program has changed the community for the better.

“Come out and get a little taste of that magic and you’ll see how special this program is,” Sandine said.

Currently, the All-Stars and Buddy Baseball programs play at Flodin Boys and Girls Club. Manager of Therapeutic Recreation Kuenzie Dearth-Horwich said while the district is appreciative of the partnership, the fields do not meet the needs of all participants.

“A lot of times we can’t access the dugouts,” Dearth-Horwich said. “Sometimes the field has too much sand for our athletes who may be in wheelchairs or have mobility needs. That makes it difficult for them to participate with ease. We really need a space that is built with their needs in mind and their skill set in mind.”

The Park District announced in July its decision to renovate Darryl F. Lindberg Park in Loves Park. Two baseball diamonds are already there, as well as a parking lot and a playground.

Dearth-Horwich said construction will make the fields, bathrooms, walkways and more accessible for all.

The project’s total cost is estimated at $2.2 million. The Park District received $500,000 from the state of Illinois but said it was searching for additional funding sources.

Recently, Dearth-Horwich said an anonymous individual gave $1,000,000, and Sandine said that was a turning point for the project.

“We could not have done this by ourselves,” Sandine said. “Like a lot of projects in the Park District, it takes community. It takes partners, it takes volunteers, donors, sponsors, and this is just yet another example of the community rallying together for the good of the kids and the adults.”

Sandine said it’s important to support the youth in the community.

“Never before has it been more important to invest in kids, whether it comes to mental health, physical, social, emotional health, teamwork, character development, leadership, development,” Sandine said. “It’s more than just the game of baseball. It’s really providing confidence and an experience to kids that that otherwise might not be able to do that.”

The Park District plans to break ground on construction this summer, with hopes of playing the first game on the new fields in the summer of 2026.