If you know me… you know I love baseball. I’ve recently learned about a local baseball team that really needs our help. It’s free and takes less than 60 seconds to help.

The Courage Center’s Rolling Twins youth softball team needs a specially-designed ball field. Why should you help them get a ball field? The Courage Center is a resource center that helps people with disabilities. Its youth softball team is for athletes that are in wheelchairs.

Right now, the team plays in a baseball in a library parking lot. The team needs a ball field that’s specially-designed for wheelchair accessible for the players. Right now, there isn’t one in Minnesota. That’s why the Minnesota Twins are teaming up with the Courage Center to help them win a $200,000 grant from Pepsi. It’s part of the Pepsi Refresh Challenge. 

Hitting a baseball is arguably one of the hardest things you can do, now imagine having to do it with one hand so you can wheel yourself down to first. Here’s some video of a recent tournament. The more I see the kids play baseball, the more inspired I am to help them. I can’t imagine trying to participate in their game - they’d kick my butt.

A couple weeks ago two of the teenagers who play on the Rolling Twins team came to WCCO to talk about the contest. They were so well spoken, and so full of energy, I wish we could have had more than two minutes to interview them. They talked about the challenges of playing ball in a parking lot… and about how much fun it was to be able to play and feel like a “normal” kid.

So, how can you help get the team a proper field? You can vote, up to 25 times a day until Tuesday, Aug 17th. Head to the Twins Pepsi Refresh page (there’s also a cool video from Michael Cuddyer to watch). Or text “TWINS” to 76462.

The Minnesota Twins just got a new place to play baseball… shouldn’t the Rolling Twins get one too?