Now known as the Miracle Walk, inspired by the late Tom Alf’s 26-mile walk from his Hamilton home to Great American Ball Park for his 70th birthday, next week’s walk will be the fifth since Ben Otto’s trek in 2021.
Over the years, the number of participants has grown, and collectively they’ve raised more than $50,000 in four years. That’s just more than $600 a mile.
This year, the number of walkers has almost tripled, with nearly 20 planning to traverse from Fairfield to downtown Cincinnati, strolling through communities like Mount Healthy, North College Hill, Northside and Over-the-Rhine.
Credit: pROVIDED
Credit: pROVIDED
The final step will be on the mound at Great American Ball Park, where the team of Nuxhall supporters will place the game ball ahead of the 6:40 p.m. game’s first pitch.
In all, they expect the walk to take 10 to 12 hours.
The Miracle League complex on Groh Lane is named for the late Joe Nuxhall, a Hamilton-born and longtime Fairfield resident who made his MLB debut at 15 years old in 1944 for the Cincinnati Reds. Outside his brief 1944 stint for the Reds, he returned to the Majors in 1952 and played until 1966. He called Cincinnati Reds games from 1967 until October 2007. He died from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on Nov. 15, 2007.
An indoor complex was one of the late Nuxhall’s dreams, which is carried on by the foundation that bears his name.
The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League is commonly known as The Joy Factory, as it manufactures smiles, laughter and memories for kids and adults of all abilities. The 31,000-square-foot Hope Center is the Joy Factory’s next expansion project, funded one dollar and one step at a time. So far, nearly $3.5 million has been raised, but $8.5 million more is needed.
It would also be the permanent home for the Butler County Special Olympics.
Credit: pROVIDED
Credit: pROVIDED
The ever-expanding Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Field started with a pair of rubber diamonds for special needs athletes of all ages. Adult and youth leagues are played seasonally twice a year. Over the years, a mini golf course has been added for the players, all-abilities playground equipment and a bocce ball court.
The Hope Center is the next project. It’s a planned year-round indoor facility where special-needs athletes can experience learning new sports and new skills.
Ben Otto said it was a “crazy idea” to walk from his Fairfield home to downtown Cincinnati in 2021, but it has “blossomed into this annual walk to GABP that helps raise community awareness to the mission of the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields.”
“For the walkers and the support crew, this is just one day out of our lives where we can advocate for the All-Star athletes and the many volunteers who keep The Joy Factory running,” he said.
For the second year in 2022, Otto planned to walk with friend Eric Judd but could not. However, Judd had committed, so he made the journey.
“Personally, I feel like this contribution of walking to the ballpark is minor, so I hope that people realize they can do something small that helps the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields in a big way,” Judd said. “The walk is small compared to what the special needs families at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields do on a daily basis. We are donating 12 to 14 hours of our time, and hope to make a big impact.”
Otto and Judd picked up friends Jared Baker and Tyler Parker for the 2023 walk, and after asking others to join them, three more were part of the traveling troupe in 2024.
Having nearly 20 walkers for the 2025 journey “shows that what we’re doing matters,” Judd said. “Even more than that, it shows that the community as a whole cares deeply for this mission.”
Credit: Provided
Credit: Provided
To support the 2025 Miracle Walk, donations and sponsorships can be made through a GoFundMe page (tinyurl.com/MiracleWalk2025), where 100% of the proceeds benefit The Nuxhall Foundation, the umbrella organization for the Miracle League Field and Hope Center project.
The Nuxhall Foundation President and Board Chairman Kim Nuxhall, the youngest son of the late Joe Nuxhall, said the walk is “the type of thing that my Dad would’ve absolutely loved.”
The irony is not lost on Nuxhall that the stadium is on a section of road named for his dad.
“I’ve been amazed at the creative lengths that members of our community go to support our cause,” Nuxhall said. “When I think of that creativity, I think of this incredible team of Miracle Walkers. They use this 21-mile journey to raise funds, but even more important, they try to raise awareness for our mission with every step they take.”
More details on the walk can be found at www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org/walk, or message Nuxhall Foundation Executive Director Tyler Bradshaw to discuss potential partnerships at tyler@nuxhallmiracleleague.org.
AN EVENING FOR HOPE
On Oct. 3, The Nuxhall Foundation will host An Evening for Hope, a free event at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields. Supporters can see the vision for the planned 31,000-square-foot Hope Center, a recreational facility to be built just for athletes with physical and developmental disabilities.
“As a community, we have the opportunity to do something great together,” said Kim Nuxhall, The Nuxhall Foundation president and board chairman. “We have a unique, once-in-a-lifetime chance to design and support a facility that allows individuals with disabilities to shine.”
An Evening for Hope is open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Guests can register for free tickets online at www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org/eveningforhope. Anyone who cannot attend but wants to support the cause can contribute at www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org/pledgehope.
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