Former Minnesota Twins great Harmon Killebrew died May 17th. Killebrew was one of the best power hitters in the history of baseball. His exploits on the playing field earned him induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame. But the people that knew him adamantly say he was a better man than a baseball player. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He was also a great humanitarian, donating time and money to a variety of causes to help people less fortunate than he was.
One of his top priorities in his later years was to support and promote the Miracle League, a non-profit association created to give children with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball, regardless of ability. Miracle League chapters around the country (and in several foreign countries) work to build baseball fields with a smooth rubberized surface to accommodate children with a variety of mental and physical challenges. The Miracle League mission is “Every child deserves a chance to play baseball.”
Throughout his life, Killebrew fought for level playing fields for everyone in all walks of life, especially in sports. The League of Fans honors Killebrew’s life work in that regard and is pushing to give all Americans with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in sports — including in physical education classes, as well as in club, recreational, school varsity and intramural sports programs.
To that end, pertinent federal and state laws need to be enforced and new laws and policies enacted that require schools (K-12) and colleges to provide equal participation opportunities for individuals — with and without disabilities — and specify how such opportunities will be measured.
— Ken Reed, Director & Senior Analyst, League of Fans
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