HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — Buddy Ball is an all-inclusive program run through Babe Ruth Baseball and allows children of all abilities and disabilities to play.
There's a league in Brooksville, which ABC Action News featured earlier this year.
Blake Nester joined Buddy Ball in the first season. He loves to play baseball, but the wheels of his wheelchair tend to get stuck in the clay field.
But thanks to our viewers and in conjunction with the Law Offices of Anidjar and Levine, he's about to enjoy baseball even more.
Back in May, our ABC Action News Gives campaign donated $3,185 to the Hernando Youth League to help pay for mats for the Buddy Ball fields.
Those mats just arrived and will help players like Nester get around the field a lot easier.
"It's so much easier. I am so glad we got them. Every time I tried to move, I got stuck in the clay, so it was really hard before," explained Nester.
Jessica Owens is the director of the Buddy Ball Divison and knew the mats could help her players.
"Ultimately, these were designed for beaches so you can go out on the beach in your wheelchair. So when I saw them online, I was like, hey, this could work on this because it’s the same concept," said Owens.
She said seeing all the kids using the mats for the first time was priceless and a moment she'll never forget.
"The goal was to obtain these mats so the kids could move from base to base on their own," said Owens. "They were excited because it’s a different feel. It’s a whole new texture, so they can go around the bases by themselves."
To learn more about the Buddy Ball program, click here or send an email to hylsoftball@yahoo.com or call 352-340-1891.
