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WILKES-BARRE — There is a poster hanging in my house that espouses much that I try to live by every day.
It’s a photo of a monkey wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, who is sitting on a bicycle and he is smiling.
Across the top of the poster it reads: “Attitude is everything!”
And is that ever true.
There are many people who I have met in my life who I consider to be true heroes — people whose lives have changed, but who adapted to those changes and made themselves — and their communities — much better.
My most recent encounter with one of these heroes happened this week. I was assigned to write a story for this week on an organization called Individual Abilities in Motion (A AM).
My high school classmate and longtime friend Barb Kappler Romanansky is on the board of I AM and she is not only an advocate, she’s a participant.
Romanansky said the upcoming “I AM Bingo Event” fundraiser, scheduled for Oct. 20, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 200 Tigue St., Dunmore, will raise money to support I AM’s “Get Out, Get Active Program” — a blend of social and adventure activities designed to challenge, inspire, and allow for space in which a spark might grow into a fuller life.
“Inclusivity comes at a cost,” Romanansky said. “This is our first Bingo to help pay for all our activities and events. And it’s a great way for the community to come out to join with the disability community for a lot of fun.”
And if you know Barb Romanansky, you know there will be a lot of fun to be had.
Talking to Barb and Joe Salva, President of I AM, was uplifting, to say the least. These guys get it — that by providing all sorts of activities and events for people with disabilities, their quality of life will improve markedly. It’s a proven fact that this occurs when participants in programs like I AM are given the opportunity to prove to themselves and everybody else that it’s their abilities that count way more than whatever their “disability” may be.
I know this because I have been around people with disabilities most of my life, starting with my parents. I also worked for 12 years at the John Heinz Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine, where I met countless people who exemplified the abilities of people with disabilities.
And I have been involved with Challenger Little League and Victory Sports, two organizations that have provided thousands of kids and adults with disabilities the opportunity to participate in sports and social activities that has resulted in significantly improving their quality of life.
I’ll share a couple examples.
Back in 2013, Brandon Harvey was playing third base in a Victory Sports game at the Forty Fort Little League Field. Harvey, of Plymouth, has Down syndrome.
Well, Jimmy Bonchonsky was at the plate and he hit a pop fly. Harvey settled under the ball and — he caught it.
Meanwhile, Bonchonsky stood on first base celebrating his “hit.”
While Harvey’s catch was remarkable, every play of every game is special to the players, their parents, volunteers and fans. And the outcomes — measured unscientifically by the parents and caregivers — are always astounding.
Yes, Brandon Harvey did catch the ball — but Jimmy Bonchonsky was safe at first.
That is the essence of Victory Sports.
Victory Sports is a program my parents would love to attend games to cheer for these adults with mental and/or physical challenges. My mom and dad each had a disability that never slowed either of them down. That’s why they would enjoy watching the Victory participants not only play sports, but enjoy the game we all love.
Back in 1991, Fred DeSanto and I organized a group to form Challenger Little League — we were the second Challenger Little League in Pennsylvania — Williamsport, naturally, was the first.
And 20 years later, one of the best memories happened when we held a Challenger Little League “Old-Timers Game” — bringing back many of our original Challenger players who had “aged-out” of the program when they turned 19.
About 30-plus participants from the early years of Challenger, showed up to play. One of those players, Eddie Orlosky of Duryea, asked a question: “How come we can’t play baseball anymore just because we got older?”
Well, this was April and by August 2011, we had formed Victory Sports for adults and here in 2024, the program is flourishing with baseball, basketball, dances, social events, bicycling, field trips and more. The social skills of these young men and women have improved and parents and caregivers continue to sing the praises of the Victory Sports program.
Oh, b y the way, at that Old-Timers Game in 2011, Andy Ashby, former pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and other MLB teams, met Christina Capitano, one of the original Challenger players.
During a Challenger game in 1991 at what is now PNC Field, Capitano walked over to Ashby and asked for his autograph. Ashby complied and the wide-eyed Capitano, then 10, asked a question: “Why should I want your autograph?”
Ashby told her he played for the Phillies, to which Capitano responded: “You do? So do I.”
Do you see the simplistic charm in that?
That’s what Victory Sports is all about. Everybody is on the same team. Every game ends in a tie and nobody ever gets out.
And then there was the time Joey Hoffman sang the national anthem. Joey liked to sing, but only at home. When he came to a Victory game one day, Joey questioned why we hadn’t played the National Anthem. I told him we didn’t have the music and I apologized. Joey then said he would sing it — in front of a nice crowd. It was remarkable.
Programs like Victory Sports, Challenger and I AM are about improving the quality of life for participants by just offering them the opportunity to have some fun and play games and socialize.
It’s a simple formula — and a successful one at that.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.