Special needs baseball field named for Bl. Michael McGivney

This state-of-the-art ballpark is the result of over two years of ceaseless fundraising, and the charity of more than 40 KofC councils.

Clinton Township, Michigan, has a new state-of-the-art baseball field that caters to children with disabilities, thanks to years of ceaseless efforts of the Knights of Columbus. The Knights raised the money with the help of over 40 KofC councils, but they still credit the grace of God for somehow meeting the cost at over a quarter-million dollars.

The field was largely the brainchild of Ken Dumais of the St. Mary of the Hills Council. In 2019, it was clear that the league needed a new ballpark, but the pandemic made all work halt. By 2021, Dumais started a two-year effort to rally support from dozens of KofC councils in the region and from the diocese itself, but the price of the project kept ballooning.

What started at a price tag of $180,000 became $250,000 over the course of just two years. On the KofC website, Dumais recalled an “all is lost” moment when he left one meeting unsure if the Knights would be able to raise enough money:

“I was walking back to my car from a meeting one night and just said, ‘Father McGivney, we need a miracle,’” Dumais recalled. “That night, I got a call from the league that, regardless of how much the Knights raised, the new field would be named in honor of our founder.”

That news gave the Knights’ campaign the boost it needed to close the funding gap.

Named for the Knight’s founder Blessed Michael McGivney, the field is equipped with features like larger dugouts to allow wheelchair access and rubberized base paths that provide better traction and safety than dirt. To Dumais, it is nice to have the field dedicated to the KofC founder, but he credits the grace of God for the project’s completion:

“It was one of those things that got planned just right. Everything got done by the grace of God.”

Blessed Michael McGivney field was dedicated on July 15 and has already seen its first home run. Dumais recalled the feeling he got when he saw the tremendous hit, knowing it was a job well done:

“I was speechless,” Dumais said. “Seeing the first home run at this field we helped build, it was one of those ‘Hey, we did a good job’ moments and one of the greatest feelings I’ve felt.”

Read more at the Knights of Columbus official website.