MORGANTOWN — Recent Morgantown High School graduate Ryan Fluharty accomplished a lot on the baseball diamond this year. As the Mohigans’ starting shortstop and primary close, Fluharty batted .442 with 45 RBI and had an 0.68 ERA on the mound. After the season, Fluharty was named first-team all-state and was chosen as the West Virginia Gatorade State Player of the Year.
It was through those accomplishments on the diamond that Fluharty is now able to give back and helps others experience the game he loves. In being named the Gatorade Player of the Year, Fluharty was awarded a $1,000 Play it Forward grant to donate to the organization of his choosing and he picked SteppingStones.
SteppingStones, based at Mylan Park, is a non-profit organization that provides year-round recreation for children and adults with disability and runs the Miracle League of Morgantown.
“I know kids that are in the program and know how much they enjoy the things SteppingStones is able to provide for them,” Fluharty said. “Watching and being a part of some of the baseball games, I feel that me helping out is a great way to make sure they can continue doing what they love as well.”
The $1,000 grant will help to maintain the Miracle League field at Mylan Park and get new equipment for the athletes, according to SteppingStones executive director Monica Marietta.
“Every dollar helps, we are 100% community-funded,” Marietta said, “and $1,000 helps with a lot of different things.
“We live in Morgantown so we’ve heard (Fluharty’s) name the past couple of years through playing baseball. We were excited when he got the Gatorade Player of the Year and we were even more excited when we got the email telling us he chose SteppingStones to receive the Play it Forward grant.”
The Miracle League has four levels of competition to fit every athlete’s ability level with 114 athletes participating this year. The custom-designed field at Mylan Park includes rubberized turf that accommodates wheelchairs and other assistive devices while helping to prevent falls and injuries.
The Miracle League field is just a stone’s throw away from Dale Miller Field at Mylan Park, where MHS practices and plays its games.
“(Fluharty) has some friends whose siblings play Miracle League baseball,” Marietta said. “When he plays up here at Mylan Park, whether it’s driving to practice or to a game, he sees us.”
After graduating from MHS this spring, Fluharty has been playing summer league baseball. He will begin his college career at Salem University later this year.
“These kids in our community are seeing us and seeing the importance of giving back. Even if they’re not necessarily volunteering with us, these kids see that even though (Miracle League players) aren’t playing on the same field as them, they can still help out with the game of baseball.”
SteppingStones plans to build a fully inclusive playground at Mylan Park in the future. A fundraising campaign for the playground was launched late last year. Donations to SteppingStones can be made by calling its office at 304-983-7837.
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