By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



Gardendale’s dream of building a field enabling physically challenged children to play baseball got a little closer Tuesday night.

The Gardendale Rotary Club hosted its first gala, designed to raise funds for a Miracle League field.

About 350 residents and community leaders converged on The Club in Birmingham for the event and to help bring awareness to the project.

Rotary Club President Aaron Box said about $36,000 was raised from the event. Club members sold 250 tickets at $250 each. Box said additional donations have also been made, including a $2,500 donation from Wal-Mart and a $2,000 donation from Jerry and Kathy Spenney.

Box thanked the community for supporting the gala and to club members who sold tickets.

“The event exceeded our expectations,” Box said. “Our community really showed up for the event and supported it. We’re ecstatic about the funds we raised.”

Throughout the night, door prizes were handed out to ticketholders. Lottery balls containing ticket numbers for prizes were drawn and read aloud by emcee Sheldon Haygood of Fox 6. The prizes, each with a $250 value, ranged from husband and wife wills to a $1,000 necklace, donated by Jeff Dennis Jewelers.

Dennis has spearheaded the Miracle League effort in Gardendale and said the community’s turnout for the gala left him speechless.

“We had the first [Miracle League] meeting two or three years ago and six people were there,” Dennis said.

“I didn’t know how many would come to the gala, but when they started adding chairs, it was pretty emotional. For the first time I saw the community coming together on this project all in one place at one time.”

Haygood, a Gardendale resident, said it was an honor for him to have been able to participate in the event.

“I wanted to be a part of it in any way I could,” Haygood said. “It was a fun night and it was made that much more enjoyable to have helped a great project.”

The grand prize of the night was a $20,000 check. Near the end of the evening, only four ticket numbers remained on the large projector screen at the front of the room.

The four ticket-holders, Nan Bailey, Adam Canant of the North Jefferson Business League, Dwayne Jeffreys and Ray Hardman, decided to take a four-way split on the prize. The terms of the split dictated the group give $2,000 of the $20,000 back to the Rotary Club, leaving the four winners with $4,500 each.

Canant then informed those in attendance that the North Jefferson Business League would donate the winnings back to the Miracle League project.

The gala group also received a visit from a child who will benefit from the Miracle League park. Grayson Phillips, 8, of Gardendale, has spina bifida, but plays baseball at the Miracle League park in Moody.

Grayson’s father, Scott Phillips, described the gala as an incredible experience that will help the project become a reality.

“The park’s not only going to help us as a family, but it will help our area,” Phillips said. “There’s so much need in Jefferson County for this type of facility.”

The land for the Miracle League park, to be located adjacent to the soccer fields on Fieldstown Road, had been donated by the city.

Dennis said the project is still about $40,000 away from completing its financial goal. The rubberized turf for the field, which costs about $108,000, could be ordered within the next few weeks.

Dennis said other items, like fencing, have also been donated to the field. However, he said donations are still needed to complete the park.

The Gardendale Rotary Club is looking to further reduce the burden by applying for matching-grant funds from Rotary International. Box said it was too early to tell if the club would receive the funding, but a matching grant would double the after-expenses total raised from Tuesday night’s gala.

Residents who would like to contribute to the Miracle League project can contact Jeff Dennis at 631-4848.

Below is a list of prizes and winners from the Rotary Club gala. Any prizes or winners not included will be published in a future issue:

• Gerald Stove, $300 from the City of Gardendale

• Betty Franklin, one-year Gardendale Civic Center membership

• Jerry and Kathy Spenney, two wills from Martin Uptain

• Ken Mullins, Embassy Suites and Ruth Chris certificates

• John Jenkins, $300 from Pinnacle Bank

• Barry Borden, sterling silver necklace

• Roland Larkin, two wills from Martin Uptain

• Allen Foster, Regions Bank bicycle and $100 Dick’s gift card

• Frank Gleason, Bear Bryant drawing, donated by Laser Works

• Steve Gaddy, guided fishing trip from Boat of Apollo Beach in Tampa, Fla.