Recently, Brandon Edge got to see the best baseball game of his life. He traveled from Royal Palm Beach to Miami to see his favorite team, the Miami Marlins, playing the Chicago Cubs. It was a family affair, as he was joined by his parents, Jim and Allison, and his seven-year-old nephew, Aiden. Edge has been to several different major league sporting events and venues, including Wrigley Field, but not a Florida Marlins game.
Edge, 26, has cerebral palsy and relies on his wheelchair and someone to assist him to get around every day. “People just don’t know your journey when you have a child with a disability,” his mother said. “It’s a lot of work to get him ready and dressed, getting him in and out of the car, and getting him to where we are going.”
Edge has been a player in the Sunshine Baseball League in Royal Palm Beach for the past three years, and he was the lucky winner of the Marlins Ticket Giveaway at the end-of-year awards ceremony this past April. The tickets were donated by the Tyler McLellan Foundation, and Edge had his choice of any home game through the season, and he chose the game against the Cubs.
They all agreed that the handicapped seating they had was great. All they had to do was wheel Edge into his spot to watch the game, where he had the experience seeing all of his favorite players in person. They also enjoyed the game day menu of hot dogs, cotton candy and soda. This was a great family memory, and a very special day for Edge. They stayed the whole game until the very last out to watch the Miami Marlins take the win 4-2 over the Cubs.
The Sunshine Baseball League program is offered by the Royal Palm Beach Park & Recreation Department, where individuals with special needs starting at age 5 and up through adulthood get the chance to come together as a team and be cheered on to greatness.
The Sunshine League is committed to creating an environment that is family-friendly, safe and fun. It stresses the idea of participation over competition. Every player gets to bat, field and “run” the bases. Victories come in the form of achievement and involvement in the game.
