OhioHealth Partners with Prairie Township, TOPSoccer and Team Heart & Sole in Opening of Turf Field Designed for Children With Disabilities
OhioHealth Doctors Hospital is honored to partner with and support Prairie Township, TOPSoccer and Team Heart & Sole in their grand opening of The One Field at the Galloway Sport Complex, by providing a $25,000 donation.
"The Prairie Township Board of Trustees and I would like to thank OhioHealth for their partnership and continued support in our community,” Prairie Township Administrator, James Jewell says, “From the letter of support for acquiring the funding to their financial donation for future amenities at the One Field, we thank OhioHealth."
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Saturday, April 8, at the Galloway Sports Complex 1503 Galloway Rd. Galloway, OH 43119, to celebrate the new turf field opening for children with disabilities.
The event kicked off with a one and a half mile walk led by Team Heart & Sole. Those who attend also got to enjoy food trucks and music provided by DJ Matty Sexton. OhioHealth gathered over 20 volunteers to help with the grand opening event.
“This field is the first of its kind in the United States, using state-of the art technology to create an artificial turf field that both meets concussion protocol while also creating a useable, stable surface for all assisted devices meaning it is soft enough, but will not be a trip hazard for crutches and is designed for wheelchairs to smoothly move around,” Doctors Hospital Senior Advisor of Business Development Abigail Everson said.
Doctors initially became involved when this project was first introduced to the Prairie Township Community Improvement Corporation, in 2019.
“This is 100% for the kids,” Everson says, “Many of these kids have never participated in a sporting event or have had a difficult time doing so and now they have this opportunity to be involved in sports just like their able-bodied friends and family. Not only does this promote health physically, but mentally as well- building relationships through teamwork, building self-confidence, and feeling celebrated.”
In addition to the turf field, the Galloway Sports Complex has 10 baseball fields and six soccer fields. 
“One of OhioHealth’s core values is inclusion, and recently the DAWN (Disability Awareness Wellness Network) BRG was created as a way to build an inclusive workplace,” President of Doctors Hospital Lindsey Osting says, “We have an opportunity to promote our values within the community we serve by supporting this initiative alongside many other business partners including the State of Ohio, Prairie Township, and Murray Hill Dental.”
Osting spoke at the event sharing how grateful the Doctors Hospital team is to be part of the opening, and that OhioHealth's commitment to improving the health of those served stretches well beyond a hospital's walls.
“Together, our organizations are better serving our community – delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Today, we’re expanding on this commitment to our community by celebrating another milestone with the opening of One Field." Osting said at the event.
The Galloway Sports Complex where the field is located is part of The Prairie Township Community Center that was opened in 2015 to create a place for residents to gather and improve overall health. It now serves over 7,000 members.
Dorothy Meadows, a 26-year-old from Columbus, is a member and athlete with Heart & Sole.
“My favorite part about being an athlete is trying out new opportunities and just having fun with it, and having the community’s support is the greatest feeling that I could ever get from people, especially those who are passionate about their sports and what they want to do in life,” Meadows says, "Accomplishing my dreams as an athlete has been my passion and showing others that they can do whatever they want to do with their dreams.”
Meadows spoke with a 10TV reporter about the turf, expressing that it's a great addition to the complex, making it easier for people that are in wheelchairs to get around better and also have fun.
“The turf feels very soft and stable for walkers and wheelchairs, I think that this turf will benefit people who have disabilities with enjoyment and happiness. Meadows goes on to say, “People don’t have to worry about getting injured or other issues.”
“This project has been a long time in the making and brings so much value to our immediate community,” Troy Walton, owner Murray Hill Dental and Team Heart and Sole Teammate says, “But, the value it adds to our friends with disabilities is immeasurable, and isn’t that the point it all? Championing the quality of life for everyone?!”
Since opening, the center has been a great place for Doctors Hospital’s physicians and staff to offer specific healthcare programming to its members.
“We have built this partnership over the last several years, and we now have the ability to expand on it by supporting the effort to offer recreational opportunities to kids with disabilities, right here in our community,” Osting says, “The Doctors Hospital team is deeply passionate about caring for the people of Prairie Township, both inside the hospital and out and supporting this initiative was a no brainer- we wanted to DO our part and BE a part of bringing this opportunity to the west side to support the disabilities community.”
Photo Courtesy: Robb McCormick
