It’s been years in the making for the nation’s largest — and oldest — special needs baseball league in the country.

However, the Syracuse Challengers are set to break ground on their very own "Field of Dreams."

What You Need To Know

  • The Syracuse Challengers is the largest and oldest special needs baseball program in the country

  • The Challengers are not only a youth league, but has expanded to more than 230 athletes of all ages

  • Thanks to a recent $1 million donation from the Morris family, as well as many others, the Challengers are set to break ground on a new superfield, allowing all teams and leagues to play at the same place in Carrier Park in DeWitt

“When these fields are full, the level of just pure joy is infectious,” Syracuse Challengers Program Director Jennifer Savastino said.

At more than 40 years old, the Challenger League in Syracuse is the oldest Little League program for special needs children in the country.

“Families, the coaches, there's so many high fives. The smiles are for miles,” Savastino added.

There are newer adult and even senior teams, making the Challengers the largest of its kind in the country as well.

“I always say, you leave here with your your cheeks hurt because you're smiling so much,” she added.

It’s a feeling Savastino says never gets old. As the parent of a player, she knows exactly what the league means.

“Our kids have always had to play outside of when typical kids could play,” she added.

There are not enough fields at its Carrier Park home. And that's why for more than a decade, the league has been looking to create a "superfield" that would bring everyone together.

“We said whether it was going to take five years or 20 years, we were going to get this done,” Savastino said of the process of fundraising.

That day has come and the goal has been reached. Donations came in. The Town of DeWitt provided a $7.5 million bond. Families like the Lallys, the Lobdells and Boeheims offered their support.

Recently, a $1 million donation from Robert and Mary Helen Morris put the project over the top, and a groundbreaking is now set.

“When this is all done, we have seven fields here. We're also going to have a technology center in the middle with that will manage all of the large screen video boards,” Savastino said of the project which will feature numerous other upgrades.

When it's not in use by the Challengers, the field could be used by others of all abilities.

The groundbreaking for the new superfield will be noon Saturday, Sept. 14 at Carrier Park in Dewitt.