FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2017
Media Contact: Hamilton Chang | 847.778.4887
BallparksMedia@BallparksOfAmerica.com
Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team Partners with Ballparks of America to Host Inaugural Kids Camp Alumni Event in Branson.
Twenty Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball participants from Orlando, Louisville and Mission Viejo kids camps will be selected to attend the first WWAST Alumni Kids Camp this fall at Ballparks of America, America’s coolest new stay-and-play tournament facility in Branson, Missouri.
Branson, MO (February 13, 2017) – Ballparks of America has partnered with the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team™ (WWAST) to deliver an MLB-like experience to kids facing unique physical challenges, providing a means to achieve their sports aspirations despite their physical limitations.
The WWAST will host its first Kids Camp Alumni event at Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri, September 28 thru October 1, 2017.
The WWAST Alumni Kids Camp is open to twenty children who participated in the Orlando, Louisville and Mission Viejo Kids Camps. Lodging, meals, softball and fun events will be provided at no cost to the first twenty kids to sign up along with one parent. Ballparks of America will host the events across its campus comprised of five 2:3 MLB replicas stadiums of the nation’s most legendary ballparks with 100% synthetic turf and stadium seating. Participants will lodge in the air-conditioned team suites fashioned after MLB clubhouses with HDTV, secure access and private shower facilities. A variety of Branson’s family-friendly attractions and theme parks are within minutes of the campus, including a multi-tiered go cart track, zipline, family entertainment center and White Water Park located next door.
Recognizing the positive impact the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team™ (WWAST) players have on children with amputations or missing limbs, the WWAST created a softball camp in 2013 where WWAST players serve as coaches and mentors to these children. The outcome is mutually beneficial in that it is a win for the kids, and a win for WWAST players who have served our country and continue to serve in this important manner.
The mission of the WWAST is to educate and inspire children suffering the loss of a limb as many of them face challenges similar to those of WWAST players. According to Dennis Wince, Executive Director of the WWAST, “The WWAST represents some of our nation’s bravest and most determined heroes, soldiers and veterans. These men have sustained severe injuries resulting in amputation, and through extensive rehabilitation, they have become competitive athletes again, playing against able-bodied teams in exhibition games across the country. With prosthetic legs and arms, extreme perseverance and attitude, they help to educate, encourage and inspire children with similar limitations to be courageous and to break through those boundaries to achieve their highest dreams and potential.”
Hamilton Chang, CEO of Ballparks of America, stated, “We are honored to partner with the WWAST to create opportunities such as this for America’s youth. Ballparks of America was built as a once in lifetime experience for 10-13 year old baseball players, softball players of all ages and their families! We are proud to use this beautiful facility to provide life affirming experiences for children and our nations’ wounded warriors. Ballparks of America is also proud to be part of the Branson community that honors the work of hometown heroes like law enforcement, firefighters, and those who sacrifice so much to serve our country like the amazing men of the WWAST. As a host site for Branson’s annual Veterans Week (www.BransonVeterans.com) and now for the WWSAT, we are honored to recognize and honor the work of all heroes at home and abroad right here in Branson.”
The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team looks forward to reconnecting with the WWAST Kids Camp Alumni in Branson! For more information about participation and registration, contact WWAST Executive Director Dennis Wince at Dennis@thewwast.org, or WWAST Player, Brian Gentilotti at BrianPeterGentilotti@gmail.com.
VIDEOS:
• WWAST Kids Camps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=tyLbJZaBywg
Visit WWAST for more information at www.woundedwarrioramputeesoftballteam.org and “LIKE” us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WoundedWarriorAmputeeSoftballTeam/.
For more information about Ballparks of America, visit www.BallparksOfAmerica.com and “LIKE” us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BallparksOfAmerica.
For media inquiries, contact Hamilton Chang, CEO and ‘Chief Baseball Dad’ at (847) 778-4887 or via email at: Hamilton@BallparksOfAmerica.com.
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About Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team™
The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team™ (WWAST) is a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to inspire and educate others while enhancing the health and welfare of Wounded Warrior Amputees. The WWAST represents some of our nation’s bravest and most determined heroes, soldiers and veterans. These men have sustained severe injuries resulting in amputation, and through extensive rehabilitation, they have become competitive athletes again, playing against able-bodied teams in exhibition games across the country. Their armor now includes prosthetic legs and arms, along with extreme perseverance and attitude. Together they are the WOUNDED WARRIOR AMPUTEE SOFTBALL TEAM.
About Ballparks of America:
Ballparks of America offers America’s Finest Youth Baseball Tournaments. Our goal is simple – to allow 10 to 13 year olds to experience the joy of BFF: Baseball, Friends and Family. We do this first by offering players the opportunity to play at 2/3-size replicas of 5 iconic stadiums spanning the history of baseball. From lighted premium synthetic turf fields to ivy, you’ll feel like you’re in the Big League. Plus, we’re one of the only stay-and- play facilities nationwide where players experience a week rooming with friends at our MLB-style Team Suites outfitted with HDTV, spaces to hang-out and rec rooms for off-diamond games. All residence halls are air conditioned and feature private showers to add to the professional experience. And for the whole family, Ballparks of America is placed in the heart of the breathtaking Ozark Mountains in the family-focused vacation destination of Branson, MO, voted as the “Trivago #1 U.S. Best Value Destinations” for the second consecutive year (2016 & 2017), and ranking in TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Destinations” five years in a row. You’ll be steps from some of America’s finest theme parks, designer label shopping and a variety of dining options, three pristine lakes famous for record bass fishing and recreational water sports like sailing, skiing and parasailing, as well as a 100-mile hiking trail network and a dozen award-winning golf courses.