UPDATED: Donations offered to help Miracle League after suspicious fire

Oct. 09--The Joplin community is rallying to the support of the Joplin Miracle League after a suspicious fire damaged a storage shed and destroyed league equipment stored there.

Eric Secker, president of the Joplin Miracle League board, said Monday that people have been offering to help replace the league's losses since the late-night fire Saturday targeted bats, balls, Buddy T-shirts and other league items locked up a in storage shed at the field, located in the Joplin Athletic Complex.

Although the fire department estimated the loss at $7,500, Secker said the value of the equipment has not yet been determined.

It is the third incident at the field this year. There also has been a string of vandalism in concession stands at the athletic complex this year, according to the city's parks director, Paul Bloomberg.

He said the city is checking to see if its insurance will cover the Miracle League fire damage. Also, city officials will install security surveillance cameras in the athletic complex that Bloomberg hopes will document future incidents.

Secker said he will wait to see what the city determines about the insurance coverage before accepting donations to replace the equipment for the field.

"It's very disheartening because we have a saying out at the field that 'this is where love happens,'" Secker said.

"You contrast the joy and the energy that these kids have when they are out there playing to these reckless acts of vandalism, and it's discouraging. But we've already had so many people reach out and offer to help to replace what was lost that even in the face of this we had the community coming together once again to reach out and help."

The Joplin Miracle League for children with disabilities plays at the Will Norton Field of Dreams. Construction of a field and playground with equipment specially designed to accommodate those with special needs was built in 2012 by Joplin Rotary Clubs and the Keller Williams Foundation with other private donations.

The field was named after Will Norton, a Joplin High School student who was killed by the 2011 Joplin tornado on his way home from Joplin High School graduation. He worked as a Rotary volunteer with his father and was known for his interest in helping younger children.

Joplin fire Chief Jim Furgerson said Monday the fire was incendiary and is under investigation by the Joplin fire marshal and Joplin police as a suspicious blaze.

The Joplin Fire Department was called to the field at 11:26 p.m. Saturday and remained there until after 1 a.m. In addition to the fire in the equipment storage shed, there was a small blaze extinguished in a nearby restroom.

Secker said it was the third incident this year at the Miracle League field.

On July 4, fireworks were set off at the field, causing a fire that destroyed a canopy and some of the field's fencing. About a month ago, the shed was broken into and some small electronics were stolen.

By coincidence, there is no upcoming league play scheduled so the loss of the items will not affect that, Secker said.

"We are certainly confident we will have things back in order by the time we start play at the start of the season next spring," he said.

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