By Hayleigh Gowans
Staff Writer
The grand opening of the long-anticipated Carrier Park Field of Dreams, a planned multi-use sports complex that will be the home to the Syracuse Challenger Baseball League, was celebrated on May 21, and local children of all abilities got a chance to run the bases on the new baseball fields.
The event started with a procession of District 8 Little League flags by local and Challenger League teams. Following the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner” by Brittany Del Toro, Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney threw out the first pitch to Challenger League player Taylor Perkins. Players from East Syracuse Little League and the Challenger League played games together to end the day.
“I want to extend my most heartfelt appreciation to all those who have gotten us to this point,” said Dom Cambareri, program director of Syracuse Challenger Baseball and founder of the Field of dreams project. “From an idea that was started about 10 years ago, we can finally say our Challenger League players will be able to play side-by-side with players of all abilities.”
The Challenger Baseball league offers a place for people of all ages with various special needs, physical handicaps and developmental delays to get the chance to play baseball. Founded locally in 1984 and now with nearly 260 members, Syracuse Challenger Baseball is the largest of an estimated 900 single-district Challenger Little Leagues in the world. About a decade ago, Cambareri got the idea to open a field where Challenger League players would be able to play their games, since they often have to schedule games around Little Leagues.
The complex was built on a 24.5 acre plot of land donated by Carrier Corporation in 2010, 600 Roby Avenue in East Syracuse. The total project is expected to cost about $12.5 million. About $6.5 million has already been raised through donations, said Cambareri, and the project received a $4 million anticipated bond note through the town of DeWitt in February 2015.
At the May 21 event, the project received a $5,000 donation from Carrier Corporation, and $100,000 from the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation.
“A project of this magnitude takes a herculean effort on the part of many people,” said DeWitt Town Supervisor Ed Michalenko. “There are so many people that were involved in making this dream a reality.”
“This right here is why I love this area,” said Onondaga County Executive Mahoney. “People came together to make things happen for the greater good, and we get to see the benefit for all of the children in the area.”
Phase 1 of the project, construction of two baseball diamonds, has already been complete. Phase two of the project will include construction of two turf “superfields,” which can be converted to accommodate different sports. When complete, the complex will be fully handicap accessible and include 10 professional-quality little league diamonds; two championship-level, multi-athletic turf fields for soccer, lacrosse and football; courts for basketball, volleyball and tennis; a playground; and many other features.
Local youth sports leagues and teams, including Little League Baseball, soccer, lacrosse and Pop Warner football, would utilize the Carrier Park Field of Dreams. The complex is also expected to draw youth tournaments from outside the region, bringing visitors to the area who would use the nearby hotels, restaurants and retail shops, said Cambareri.
Michalenko said when the complex is complete, the economic impacts to local business revenue from tournaments that bring in families outside of Central New York is expected to be about $2.5 million annually.
The nearly 260 members of the children and adult Syracuse Challenger League will now have a place to live out their dreams of playing baseball despite their physical or developmental challenges, said Cambareri.
“I know I don’t look excited, but I really am,” said Challenger League player Matthew DeRegis, who has been involved since 2014. “I love baseball and playing the game.”
To learn more about the Field of Dream or to donate, go to carrierpark.org.
