Miracle League of the Triangle

Miracle League of the Triangle encourages children with special needs to play baseball. MLT has three fields in the Raleigh area and more than 600 players.

Those words represent the mission of the Miracle League of the Triangle (MLT). Founded in 2006 and based on a national program that started a decade earlier, the Miracle League of the Triangle provides children with special needs the opportunity to take part in America’s favorite pastime – baseball. 

The opening season featured 100 players on eight teams on a field in Cary. The second field in north Raleigh opened in 2014, and in 2023, MLT opened its third field in downtown Durham. “It’s a replica of the Durham Bulls stadium, where you see downtown Durham when you stand on home plate,” says Benjy Capps, MLT executive director. “With three fields now open, we exceeded 600 players this season in the Triangle. We’ve been able to realize our mission to provide positive life experiences for our players and their families through baseball.” 

Benjy’s involvement with MLT is personal. “I have a son, Micah, who has special needs. He was born with cerebral palsy,” Benjy explains. “We always wanted to find things for him to do. I grew up playing sports and I know how important sports can be, what it means to be a teammate. But with Micah, we weren’t sure what would be available to him. Nothing was offered for kids with special needs, especially physical needs.”  

One day, Micah’s neurologist told Benjy about a new program – Miracle League of the Triangle. “Micah started playing with MLT and I served as his buddy, then became a coach. When MLT needed an executive director in 2014, I was fortunate to get the position, and I’ve been here ever since.”  

MLT relies on volunteers to make their program succeed. Every player has a one-on-one buddy who works with them on the field at all times to make sure they are safe and enjoying the baseball experience. “Volunteers are sometimes a little nervous at first, but by the time they leave, they say, ‘These players taught me so much more than I could ever teach them.’ We’ve had volunteers go on to become good friends with the players. Some of our coaches have coached every season for 17 years. This year, we will have 6,000 volunteers donate about 18,000 hours. That takes a lot of people and community involvement,” Benjy says. 

TowneBank is honored to be a longtime supporter of the Miracle League of the Triangle and has served as a sponsor for the MLT annual gala which raises funds for the organization. “We are very fortunate that TowneBank has stepped up year after year,” Benjy says. “Between their partnership and their volunteer commitment, we couldn’t do what we do without TowneBank.” 

Benjy shares what is most rewarding about his work with MLT – “Going out to a field and watching the joy of our players as they run the bases or swing a bat, something they thought they could never do. They are embraced and celebrated for who they are. I always say, ‘If you’re having a bad day, go to a game and your perspective will change completely.’” 

For more information and to find out what you can do to help, visit MLTriangle.com.