Last Sunday, April 30, Massapequa residents and Town of Oyster Bay officials attended the dedication of Challenger Field.

The field is located at the John J. Burns Town Park, itself located on Merrick Road in Massapequa.

The event was greeted by terrific weather and attracted a large crowd of over 200 people, including an enthusiastic group of Massapequa Challenger league ballplayers.

The day's events started off with a short parade from the parking lot to the field. At around 3:30 p.m., Town Supervisor John Venditto threw out the first pitch of a game between two Massapequa Challenger squads.

Massapequa Challenger baseball is a Little League-sanctioned program that gives physically and mentally challenged children the opportunity to play baseball in an environment structured to their abilities.

The town developed a field to meet the special needs of the players with such features as wider gate openings to accommodate wheelchairs and cement pads to facilitate access onto the field.

In addition, the synthetic FieldTurf offers a stable, uniform and shock-absorbing playing surface, which, according to town officials, is safer than traditional grass and easier to move around on.