Jill Bianco is one tough gal. A baseball going at warp speed doesn’t faze her a bit. Jill is part of a twelve-woman baseball team, the Liberty Belles and the only deaf woman that I know who plays baseball.
Jill played fast-pitch softball for many years in every position except pitcher. She joined the Chicago Gems baseball team after responding to an ad on Craigslist. On February 12, Jill will head to Hong Kong to play in the 2009 Phoenix Cup International Women Baseball Tournament.
Being Deaf and playing ball can be tough sometimes. I face many challenges but I haven’t let them get me down, or stop me from playing the sport I truly love. I can do everything other ball players can do, both on the field and off, the only difference is that I do not hear. Baseball doesn’t require a lot of verbal communication on the field. With all the visual signs being used there isn’t much need for verbal communication. This puts every teammate on the same page, with equal access and knowledge of what to do next. I strive to show the world that a Deaf female ball player can be as good as anyone. I’d like to educate people so they understand that Deaf people aren’t what they’re stereotyped as.
As you can imagine, it isn’t cheap to head to Hong Kong and Jill isn’t going to let limited funds stop her. If you have a few dollars (or more) to spare, you can help with Jill’s dream to play baseball:
Hi everyone! I m Jill. I just got back from Hong Kong yesterday. I had a blast. We, North American Liberty Belles, won silver medal for the tournament. We lost to Japan in the Championship. I m also proud to share that I have received a huge honor of being selected as a Team Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Liberty Belles!
The day is here: Blog Action Day. Today, over 10,000 blogs will spotlight the issue of poverty and raise funds to make a difference. Kudos to Easton Ellsworth and the team behind Blog Action Day.
I thought long and hard about what I wanted to blog about today. My kids are deaf and hard of hearing and they attend school in a district that is well paid for by taxes. They are receiving an education that is lacking very little in terms of resources and access to projects. They have access to digital hearing aids, interpreters, FM systems and itinerant teachers.
A couple of years ago, I attended a conference where I met an educator for the deaf from New Mexico. He described an educational system that was quite different from what my children are receiving. Many of the families with deaf and hard of hearing children were scattered in very rural areas. Many were living in what we would call deep poverty in the United States. Some of the families came across the border. He talked about how families had very limited access to the many choices that families in bigger cities take for granted.
Mrs. V's classroom
I tried to think of a way that I could ask my readers to help make a difference, a tangible difference for deaf and hard of hearing children–today. I have a project that I’m supporting over at the Chicago Moms Blog which is part of the DonorsChoose.org Bloggers Challenge. It is a fundraiser for a classroom in New Mexico for deaf and hard of hearing children in an area of high poverty: Bugs, Crystals and More for Hands On Scientists. Just $546 dollars will fund this project and make a difference in the lives of several deaf and hard of hearing students (and the future students to follow). The project has raised $125 dollars so far and the deadline to fund this project is November 21st. Perhaps my readers, today, can help this project reach its goal.
It only takes a minute to make a contribution, and make a difference. The learning that these students will reap from this project will help shape future minds.
Won’t you make a difference today?
Update as of October 15th in the afternoon:
I’m sitting here amazed, totally amazed. This project is now fully funded. A special thanks goes to all the donors: Karon, Davis, Jessica, Deborah, Joanna and Eileen. Joanna and Eileen gave today and helped to fully fund the project.
You all are amazing!
Update: Thank you from Mrs. Vogt:
Dear Karen,
Thank you so much for your donation towards hands-on science materials for our classroom with deaf and hard of hearing students. We are so excited to start using the supplies to do science experiments. We have seen some different science supplies in books and I am thrilled that the students will now get to explore magnifying glasses, lenses, microscopes, and color paddles for themselves! I have been reading lots of books and websites to find experiments that are good for kindergarten and first grade kids. Now, we will be able to do the experiments. By the way, I showed the kids pictures of the supplies we are getting, and they said to tell you that they are the most excited about the growing crystals kit! Thanks again so much!!
Jill Bianco is one tough gal. A baseball going at warp speed doesn’t faze her a bit. Jill is part of a twelve-woman baseball team, the Liberty Belles and the only deaf woman that I know who plays baseball.
