Blind athletes challenge Seattle Police Department in Beep Baseball

The Seattle Police Department team will don darkened shades to compete in a game designed for blind athletes against the Seattle South King Sluggers. SPD players will have to listen for the ball and listen for which base to run.

The public is invited to attend the Sluggers vs. the Seattle SPD match Saturday, May 31, 1:30 to 3:30 pm at Walt Hundley playfield #2, 6920 34th Ave. SW, Seattle. Food, drinks, and t-shirts will be on sale.

Officer Chris Gregorio met the Sluggers and said, “I loved the idea of a beep baseball match because these guys were not ‘poor me.’ The trash talk began with the handshake.”

“The Sluggers motto is ‘beating challenges.’ We showcase what people who are blind can accomplish. This sport is highly competitive. The men and women on our team plan to compete in the Beep Baseball World Series in Minnesota this August,” said Sluggers Manager, Kevin Daniel.

Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) will sponsor this event to raise awareness about the sport and encourage people dealing with vision loss to get active.

“As a state organization of the blind, we voted to sponsor this event because we want to empower and engage people experiencing vision loss and their families,” Cindy Van Winkle, WCB President.

“Too often stories focus on what sighted people do for this faceless category called ‘the blind.’ We want to change the dialog. Come see what we can and are doing to make life better for others,” said Gaylen Floy, president of South King Council of the Blind, the chapter that sponsors the Sluggers.

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About the Seattle South King Sluggers

The Sluggers are composed of blind and visually-impaired men and women from the Seattle area who love to play beep baseball. The Sluggers formed in 2013 and is part of the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA); a league comprised of 28 teams from the U.S. and Taiwan.

For more information check: http://seattlesluggers.org