ROBERTSDALE — The City of Robertsdale is joining other municipalities in Baldwin County in making a donation to the Miracle League of Coastal Alabama for the completion of a park and ballfield in Summerdale designed for special needs residents.

The council voted at its Monday, Nov. 15 meeting to donate $5,000 after hearing a presentation from Bruce White Jr., founder and president of the Miracle League of Coastal Alabama during the council’s work session on Nov. 1.

During the Nov. 1 work session White stated that the League has raised approximately $11 million and needs about $265,000 to complete the project.

“We’re going to get this done,” he said, “but we need help from municipalities such as yours to get it done.”

A part of the national Miracle League organization based in Conyers, Georgia, White said the vision of Miracle League of Coastal Alabama began initially as the Miracle League of Pleasure Island in 2004, but after delays caused by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and the Gulf Coast oil spill in 2010, plans shifted to building the baseball field and playground facility in Summerdale.

After breaking ground on the facility in July of 2019, the project was delayed again by COVID-19, White said.

“We had applied for grant funds and while we are still expecting to receive some grant money, most of the funds we were looking for are now giving money to COVID-related projects,” White said. “We have always looked to receive support from municipalities. We just had to move those plans forward somewhat.”

The city of Orange Beach recently committed $20,000 to the project, White said, and said they would match all other donations received from municipalities in Baldwin County up to $100,000. Miracle League also has commitments from Gulf Shores, Elberta, Magnolia Springs and Summerdale.

White said the goal is to receive $20,000 from each of the county’s larger municipalities, $10,000 from mid-size municipalities, then whatever smaller municipalities are willing to give.

A request was also presented to the Silverhill Town Council at its Nov. 1 meeting and it was decided to consider including a donation in the town’s 2021-22 budget.

A presentation was made before the Loxley Town Council at its Nov. 8 meeting and the matter was to be discussed during the council’s work session Nov. 29 for consideration of approval at its Dec. 13 meeting.

Also on Nov. 15, the council:

• Approved a request from the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce for the use of the Baldwin County Coliseum for the chamber’s annual banquet in January, prayer breakfast in May, Flavors of the South Food & Wine Tasting in July and a Baldwin County Connect seminar through the Baldwin County Chamber Coalition in February.
• Approved the use of the city’s billboard to advertise the St. Patrick Christmas Bazaar Dec. 3 and 4.
• Approved a request to surplus a Ford Interceptor for the police department.
• Announced that the city will host an open house for the new utility complex beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 which is located on Chicago Street north of the police station.
• Announced that the employee Christmas luncheon has been changed to noon Dec. 14.