Opening Day parade for Miracle League in Fairfield steps off Saturday

The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Field Opening Day Parade is set for this Saturday, April 22, 2023, starting at Sacred Heart Church on Nilles Road and ending at the Miracle League Fields on Groh Lane. PROVIDED

The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Field Opening Day Parade is set for this Saturday, April 22, 2023, starting at Sacred Heart Church on Nilles Road and ending at the Miracle League Fields on Groh Lane. PROVIDED

The annual Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields Opening Day Parade will feature the beloved furniture pitchman Ed Hartman, who will be this year’s grand marshal.

The parade, presented by new sponsor The TQL Foundation, is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday and will step off from Sacred Heart Church on Nilles Road. It will wind through the local neighborhood before ending at The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields on Groh Lane. A short on-field ceremony will follow, which will feature local vocalist Kim Beatty performing the national anthem.

Hartman is the iconic pitchman for Furniture Fair and a philanthropist. Hartman will lead a crew of special needs All-Stars from the Great Miami Valley YMCA Youth League and the Therapeutic Recreation for the Disabled Adult League.

Pictured is Joey, the Miracle League mascot, and 2022 Nuxhall Foundation Humanitarian Award Winner Teddy Kremer ahead of the 2022 Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Field Opening Day Parade. This year's parade is set for this Saturday, April 22, 2023, starting at Sacred Heart Church on Nilles Road and ending at the Miracle League Fields on Groh Lane. PROVIDED

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Along with Hartman and the All-Stars will be 2022 Nuxhall Humanitarian Award Winner and Cincinnati Reds batboy Teddy Kremer, JNMLF mascot Joey The Can-Do Kangaroo, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings vintage baseball team, and Cincinnati Reds mascot Gapper.

“This foundation is blessed to have people with a passion to help and inspire kids and adults who have been given challenges to overcome,” Hartman said. “I know The Ole Lefthander is in heaven guiding us as we move forward towards more opportunities for those we serve.”

Hartman is also The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Golf Outing chairman, and the outing is in its 38th year. Proceeds from the outing support The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship, which has awarded nearly $1 million to student-athletes throughout Butler County. Hartman is also a steady presence at all Nuxhall Foundation events, including the annual NUXY Bash, a summer celebrity softball game.

Pictured are members of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings vintage baseball ahead of the 2022 Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Field Opening Day Parade. This year's parade is set for this Saturday, April 22, 2023, starting at Sacred Heart Church on Nilles Road and ending at the Miracle League Fields on Groh Lane. PROVIDED

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“The idea of a parade for our athletes was all about taking a big swing to provide them with a big league experience,” said Nuxhall Foundation President and Board Chairman Kim Nuxhall. “This event has grown into one of our all-time favorite traditions. Folks are used to seeing me well up with tears of emotion on a regular basis, and this event is no different because of what it means to us and what it represents.”

Parade participants are encouraged to line up at Sacred Heart Church in Fairfield starting at 9:15 a.m. (anyone arriving early will be asked to return later).

The Nuxhall Foundation is the legacy foundation for former Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Joe Nuxhall. A central project of The Nuxhall Foundation is The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, an entirely accessible baseball and recreational facility where every player with every challenge gets every chance to play. More than 200 players between ages 4 to 78 participate in programs at the Miracle League Fields.

Pictured is a scene from the on-field ceremony from the 2022 Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Field Opening Day Parade. This year's parade is set for this Saturday, April 22, 2023, starting at Sacred Heart Church on Nilles Road and ending at the Miracle League Fields on Groh Lane. PROVIDED

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JOE NUXHALL MIRACLE LEAGUE PARADE DETAILS

When: 10 a.m. Saturday

Where: The parade begins at Sacred Heart Church, 400 Nilles Road, and ends at The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, 4850 Groh Lane

More: An on-field post-parade ceremony and celebration will start around 10:45 a.m.

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