The Miracle League of Alexandria

A Champion Supporting Champions

May 3, 2023 – by Emily Milton

On Saturday, April 22, ACHS senior Milan Rex was honored for her donation of $1,000 to the Miracle League of Alexandria (MLA).

Rex was chosen as Gatorade Player of the Year, which is an award given to outstanding high school athletes nationwide. With the award, she was able to donate $1,000 to a youth sports organization of her choosing– and she chose The Miracle League. The award comes only weeks after winning the Virginia State Volleyball Championship with her ACHS team.
Volleyball players Rex and Chloe Wilmot and Coach Danielle Thorne pose with the honorary $1000 check. From left to right, Slover, Thorne, Wilmot, and Rex pose with Thorne’s honorary certificate.

The MLA is a non-profit organization begun by community member Bill Rivers and former head of the City of Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities Mac Slover. According to their website, the MLA is a group “comprised of private citizens concerned with supporting recreation and sports opportunities for individuals with special needs.” They specialize in providing youth and adults with physical and mental disabilities with the opportunity to play baseball, where every hit is a home run, and everybody has a good time.

With Rex’s generous donation, Rivers and Slover wanted to recognize her at one of the Miracle League’s games. Rex, teammate and fellow State Championship winner Chloe Wilmot, and ACHS Volleyball coach Danielle Thorne attended the Earth Day game. Instead of playing on their usual site of the Kelley Cares Miracle Field, the game was played indoors at the Nannie J. Lee Recreational Center due to weather conditions.

Both Rex and Thorne received certificates and MLA baseball jerseys, and a ceremonial check for Rex’s donation. In addition, Rex’s name was added on the Kelley Cares Field Memorial Wall. When presenting Thorne’s certificate, Slover highlighted her volunteer work with the recreation department when she was younger, and her recognition as Coach of the Year for 2022. Slover also stated his “hope for the future” because of young people and players like Rex who contribute so much to their community.

After the ceremony, Rex, Thorne, and Wilmot all participated as volunteer “helpers” with the adult members of the League, finishing the day after two innings and joining in on the tradition of singing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” at the end.               

Rivers introduces Rex and Coach Thorne to players and their families. With her donation, Rex was also honored with a ceremonial baseball on the memorial wall outside the field. Rex assists fellow ACHS student Tucker Riley in moving to the bases.

“The Secret of the Legendary Tribe” by John Roache
(Some proceeds go to the MLA)

John Roache is a native Alexandrian who’s played, coached, and had children play in the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities’ Sports Program for many years under the leadership of Mac Slover.

In his book, John has written a middle grade adventure novel for kids 8-12 about disabled children in Alexandria, who go on an adventure in search of a lost Native American artifact that belonged to the Patawmeck tribe of Virginia.

Since the main characters are children with disabilities–two of whom are also members of the Patawomeck tribe–John intends to donate half of any of his proceeds to the Miracle League of Alexandria and to the tribe.

The MLA appreciates John for reaching out to them about his book and supports his efforts to sell it since some of the proceeds will benefit the MLA program and the tribe.

Below is the link to the book. Please support John and the MLA. The story is a great read!
http://www.belleislebooks.com/store/p202/The_Secret_of_the_Legendary_Tribe.html

Dr. Angela Austin has been recognized for the 10th time as one of Northern Virginia’s Top Pediatric Dentists. Dr. Austin issued this statement on her selection. “I am honored to be recognized as one of the Top Dentists in Northern Virginia. Being one of many amazing clinicians, I am thankful and know that it always takes a village. To dedicate a lifetime of caring for children is the most amazing life I could have ever dreamed of.

Each and every child that has entered my life has made it so much better. Thank you to every parent, child, caregiver who’s blessed our office with your presence. I’ll always be so grateful for your trust.

Thank you, Northern Virginia Magazine for this sweet recognition.” Dr. Austin is the proud sponsor of a Miracle League Alexandria player attending the National Miracle League All-Star Games each of the past three years. The MLA is proud of Dr. Austin’s recognition.

On Saturday, September 24, the Townsend Reese Memorial Pollinator Garden was dedicated in the memory of Townsend, who was a long-time parent and supporter of the Miracle League of Alexandria. Attending the dedication were his family members: Janet (wife), Emma (daughter), Andrew & Philip (sons) and members of the Miracle League Board and players, supporters and volunteers from the league. 

Townsend received a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland in 1976. In 1983, he was awarded a B.S. in Engineering with a primary focus in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Maryland. Townsend participated in clean-up efforts at Three Mile Island and spent several years working at Nuclear Power Plants in Illinois, Miami and Huntsville, AL, before returning to the Washington area.   

Townsend joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 2013 as a Patent Examiner, a job he held until his death. He was proud to be a Civil Servant and often commented on how it allowed him to demonstrate his patriotism.  

Townsend was passionate about baseball. His grandfather had been a bat boy in the 1910’s for the old Washington Senators team and told him stories about baseball greats like Walter Johnson and Ty Cobb. Townsend was an ardent fan of the Orioles, Red Sox and Nationals. He supported the building of the Miracle League Field in Alexandria, delighted that it meant that baseball could be accessible to individuals of all abilities.  

In addition to his love of baseball, Townsend was also fascinated by space flight, dinosaurs, politics, history, and had an encyclopedic knowledge of each.   Most of all, Townsend will be remembered for his sweet nature, limitless patience, quirky sense of humor, and above all, his tremendous love of his family. Townsend and Janet have been proud supporters of the Miracle League of Alexandria since its inception in the spring of 2011.  Philip is one of our original players in the league and continues to play today. Townsend, Janet, Philip and the family were here for the beginning of our league, the dedication of the field in 2012 and could often be seen at the field supporting Philip during his games.   

Townsend’s friendly smile could always be seen when he came. He always asked how we were doing and if we needed anything. He told us that he was so thankful Philip had a place to be able to play baseball and that he could watch him play. He told me on several occasions he thought the Miracle League was something special and he appreciated us having the program.  

Mac Slover, Chair of the Miracle League stated, “Today, we honor Townsend’s memory with the dedication of the Townsend Reese Memorial Pollinator Garden here at the Kelley Cares Miracle Field. May the spirit of Townsend always be with his immediate family and his Miracle League family too. We love you Townsend!”