When Ben Pritchard’s late son Paul didn’t make the Special Olympics team in the late 1990’s, he turned the experience into a positive one.
Pritchard, a local lawyer along with his wife Marla and their son, Paul started TAPS (Together All People Shine) an opportunity for special needs persons to play softball.
“They really look forward to it, it’s very important to them” Pritchard told SaultOnline Wednesday before their game with the Paramedics team.
TAPS gathers each Wednesday in August at the Queen Elizabeth Park Ball Diamond to play ball against the Sault’s finest, City Police, Sault Fire Services and the Paramedics for the first time.
Their son “Paully” passed away in August 2010 after suffering from cerebral palsy.Despite their personal loss the husband and wife team continued with TAPS. “This is something I could never walk away from”
Pritchard said he has seen the improvements of the 30 players on the team, physically and mentally,”some of them who needed a walker to get around the bases now run, they can throw a ball and catch , It’s a big to them and to me”
If you’re interested in sponsoring or playing on the team, call Ben Pritchard at 705-942-0234.
